Synopsis scripturae sacrae

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS, JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, A SYNOPSIS Of the Old and New [Testaments], arranged as a memorandum. PREFACE. It is called New both from the time and from the nature of the things that came to be in it, because all things were made new, and first of all man, for whose sake all things exist. And lest anyone should say: "The heaven is the same, the earth the same, and—most important of all—man the same"; yet a new law was given, new commandments, new grace through the washing, a new man, new promises. For no longer are there earth and the things from the earth, but heaven and the things in the heavens. New are the mysteries. For no longer are those fleshly things—a sheep and blood, and the fat-smoke, and dung—but the rational and virtuous worship; the commandments are new, a wood that leads up to the heavens and makes men lofty. The goal, then, of both Testaments is one: the correction of men. And why should one marvel concerning the Scripture, when even the use of creation itself exists for this man's sake? For He made the great heaven for his sake, and the earth straight, and the sea beyond his need, so that from the greatness of the things made they might marvel at the Creator and come to the knowledge of God. These things, then, came to be for his sake. Since, therefore, the goal of the Old and the New is one, Moses thought it necessary also to record ancient histories—not according to the outward sequence; for those [other writers] write histories simply, so as to make narrations of events and to bring wars and battles into the open, and to reap glory from their writings. But the lawgiver does not do so.

but it always records the histories of great men who succeeded, so that the narrative of what was lived by them should become for those after these things a foundation of good teaching. For this reason it brings into the middle not only those who succeeded but also those who sinned, so that we may emulate the one and avoid the other, and from both sides the things of virtue and the things of diligence may be set straight. Let no one, then, think it foreign to a lawgiver to narrate ancient histories and to record laws. For what the law avails, the narrative of the life of the saints also avails. Of the Old [Testament], then, there is the historical part, as the Octateuch: Genesis narrating the things concerning creation, and the things concerning the life of those who pleased God; and Exodus, the departure of the Jews from Egypt, that paradoxical one, and the sojourn in the desert, and the giving of the law; and Leviticus, the things concerning sacrifices and priestly service; for the tribe of Levi was this which had obtained the priesthood by lot, and the book received its name from the name of the tribe. After that, Numbers; for after they came out of Egypt, God commanded the people of the Jews to be numbered, and they were six hundred thousand, having come from one man, Abraham. Then after that, Deuteronomy; for Moses interpreted the law to them a second time. Then after that, Joshua the son of Nun; for he, becoming their leader after Moses, both led them into the land of promise and divided the land by lots among the twelve tribes. After him, Judges;

For after Jesus died, the affairs of the Jews fell into an aristocracy, and the tribes held power. Then Ruth, a short book, containing the story of a foreign woman who was married to a certain Jew. After that, the four Books of Kingdoms, in which are the events concerning Saul, the events concerning David, the events concerning Solomon and Elijah and Elisha, and the events up to the captivity into Babylon. And after the Kingdoms, Ezra. For since they were carried off to Babylon for their sins, and spent seventy years there in slavery, God later, being merciful to them, prepared Cyrus, who was then king of the Persians—Cyrus, whose education Xenophon recorded—to release the captives. And when he released them, they returned under the leadership of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel. And Ezra writes this return: how, after returning, they built the temple a second time and raised up the city. And when a hundred years had passed, war again overtook them, the Macedonian war. Then the events under Antiochus Epiphanes took place, when they were besieged for three and a half years and suffered badly, and again were delivered from the evils that had come upon them. And after that, when a little time had passed, Christ comes, and the Old Testament takes its end. But in order to learn from what source the race of the Jews arose, it is necessary to say a few things. After Adam came Seth, then Enoch, then others through many generations; and then Noah, in whose time, when men had been corrupted by wickedness, the flood came.

Then, when the flood had ceased, he came out of the ark alone with three children and filled the earth from his own offspring, since through succession those being born were many. When, therefore, they had become many, they resolved to build a tower reaching up to heaven. But God, condemning their purpose, confused their tongues and divided the one into many. Hence necessity arose for them, since they could not understand one another, not even to dwell together with one another; and this became the occasion for them to be scattered everywhere throughout the inhabited world. It is said that in this confusion of tongues Eber, the forefather of the Jews, was unwilling to share in their undertaking, and remained alone preserving his own tongue, being honored for this most noble purpose. From him was descended Abraham; therefore the language of the Jews is called Hebrew, from Eber. From him, then, was descended Abraham, and from Abraham, Isaac, whose son was Jacob. He begot the twelve patriarchs: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Gad, Dan, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin. The tribes that came afterward were named after these eleven patriarchs. For each begot a tribe, and those born were called after them. Instead of Joseph, however, there is no longer one tribe, but two. For the father of Joseph did not wish him to be the namesake of one tribe. What then happens?

Since he was one and the same, in order that he might become a double patriarch, he made Ephraim and Manasseh, his two sons, to become namesakes of two tribes, and the two tribes were reckoned to Joseph. So it came about from this that there were eleven (read: thirteen) tribes—eleven those of the others, two those of Joseph through his children. The tribe of Levi is excepted and set apart for the order of the priesthood; for it was not necessary for it to take up anything else; and the number of the twelve remains without being cut off. So the twelve did all the other things; but the tribe of Levi alone was appointed to the priestly duties. From this tribe was Moses. These twelve patriarchs, then, having gone down to Egypt, when the promise of God to Abraham was being fulfilled—the one saying, I will make your seed as the stars of heaven—became the ancestors of six hundred thousand. From this the race of the Jews was constituted, named from the tribe of Judah, the most royal, whence kings would come. Of the Old Testament, then, the historical part is this which we have just mentioned; the advisory part is, for example, the Proverbs, and the Wisdom of Sirach, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; the prophetic part is, for example, the sixteen Prophets, as I say, and Ruth, and David. One might find these kinds divided, being roughly present in one another. For example, I mean that in the histories one might find prophecy; and of the prophets

One might hear many historical accounts from those who discourse. And the form of counsel and of exhortation is in each of these, both in prophecy and in history. But all these things, as I said before, look to one end, the correction of the hearers, so that both from the narrative of former things, and from counsel and exhortation, and from prophecy, they may be ordered toward what is fitting. But this was rather the work of prophecy, to proclaim beforehand things to come, whether good or painful, in order that they might draw some away and restrain others by the fear of evil. There is also another kind of prophecy, to proclaim beforehand the things concerning Christ; where with accuracy it speaks not only of his coming, but also of what he was going to do when he came, and of his birth, and of his generation, and of the cross, and of the wonders, and of the choosing of the disciples, of the New Covenant, of the cessation of the Jewish rites, and of the disappearance of the Greek practices, and of the nobility of the Church, and of all the other things that follow in order. All these things with all clarity the prophets proclaimed long beforehand, some through types, some through words. For there are two kinds of prophecy, to proclaim things to come both through deeds and through words: through words, as when, wishing to speak of the cross, they say, As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent. This, then, they chose to prophesy through words; but through deeds, when Abraham is seen offering up his son and slaughtering the ram.

For through events it prefigures the image of the cross, and the slaughter that would be on behalf of the world. And one might find many such types in the Old, and prophecies through events. But it is possible to speak prophecy not only of things to come, but also of things past, which is more the case with Moses. For when he discourses about heaven and earth, he speaks of things past and hidden by time, but he utters them as prophecy. For just as it is [the work] of prophecy to speak of things not yet come to be and still unseen, so to uncover things that have come to be but are hidden by time and to bring them into the open is a matter of equal grace. It is also possible to speak prophecy of things present, when something happens but is hidden, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. For there it was neither past nor future, but present yet unclear. Peter, then, uncovering these things by prophecy, brings them into the open. And the things of the Old, so to speak roughly, are these. But in the case of the New, the things spoken enigmatically in the Old are shown—I mean the prophecies attested through deeds, the citizenship that touches the heavens, the unspoken good things to come, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not ascended upon the heart of man. For the New, having received man through the Old—who had been somehow proportionately and gently released from evil—leads him up to the citizenship of the angels. So that it was the work of the Old to make a man, but of the New to work the man into an angel.

For since wickedness also caused humans to perish, having brought them down into the low breeding of irrational beasts and made them beast-like, the law indeed released them from that wickedness; but grace adds even this angelic virtue. And there are also books of the New: the fourteen Epistles of Paul, the four Gospels—two of the disciples of Christ, John and Matthew, and two of Luke and Mark; of whom the one became a disciple of Peter, the other of Paul. For some had been eyewitnesses and had associated with Christ; others, having received from them the things concerning them, carried them out to others; and the book of the Acts also, itself by Luke, who recorded the events that happened, and three of the Catholic Epistles. Synopsis of Genesis. The things concerning the creation of the world, and the formation of man. Adam receives a commandment, and the woman is formed from his side, who, deceived by the serpent, deceives the man, and having become with him accursed, is cast out of paradise; and the serpent receives a curse to walk on its breast. Cain kills his brother because of his being greatly preferred, and pays the penalty; and after these things he begets children. And Eve also bears Seth. A catalogue of those from Adam, and of those from Seth, up to Noah, and an accusation of the men because of improper marriages and the other lawless deeds; and here he calls sons of God those who trace their lineage from Seth; for indeed it is said: I said, You are gods, and all sons of the Most High. And daughters of men he calls those from Cain.

God foretells to Noah the coming destruction of humans through the flood, and urges him to build the ark, three hundred cubits in length, fifty cubits in width, thirty cubits in height. And when he entered the ark, the flood was borne along for forty days and forty nights. And the water subsided after one hundred fifty days. And the peaks of the mountains appeared on the first day of the tenth month. And after forty days he sent out the raven, and it did not return; and after seven days he sent out the dove, and it returned bringing a branch of olive. Noah is commanded by God to come out of the ark; and having come out he sacrificed to God, and he was blessed together with his sons. And he received a promise from God that such a destruction of humans by flood would never again occur. And after these things he blesses Shem and Japheth, but curses Canaan, because his father Ham had spoken of his father's nakedness. And the curse falls upon the Gibeonites; or rather, it was a pretense of a curse, but the truth was a prophecy. Those from Noah to Peleg, who received this name from the earth being divided in his time. For then they built the tower, whence also the place was named Babylon, which is Confusion, because there their languages were confounded. And the account holds that the father of Peleg, Eber, did not agree with the rest for the building of the tower, and for this reason his speech was not changed, but he remained having his language intact, and from him it received this very name.

For since that man was called Eber, this language is called Hebrew, which is also the greatest proof that Hebrew is older than all languages; for before the tongues were confounded, all used this one. And this Eber is the ancestor of Abraham. And the genealogies run from Seth to Abraham. Abraham's father Terah takes his sons, both Abraham and Nahor, and his grandson Lot, and comes to Harran, intending to go into the land of the Canaanites; and when he died in Harran, Abraham is commanded by God to migrate from Harran, and he came to Shechem in the land of Canaan. And God said to him that he would give the land to his seed. And Abraham built an altar to God, and pitched his tent toward the sea. And when a famine arose, he went down to Egypt and instructed his wife to say that she was his sister. And Pharaoh took her, and being chastened by God, he gave her back to Abraham. When the herdsmen of Abraham and of Lot strove with one another, they divided their dwellings. And Lot took the land of the Sodomites, while Abraham settled by the oak of Mamre, and he received promises again from God, both that his seed would increase into a multitude and that he would inherit the land. Chodolagomor, since the five kings of the Sodomites who had formerly been subject to him had revolted from him, took three other kings and marched against them, and having routed them he took captives; among whom was also Lot.

But Abraham, when he heard it, pursued with the three hundred and eighteen born in his household, and rescued his nephew together with the horses and the women. And to Melchisedek, who blessed him and brought out bread and wine, he gave a tenth. Therefore Paul says in the letter to the Hebrews, that "And Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes." When he was urged by the king of Sodom to take the horses, he did not consent: "Lest you say," he says, "I have made Abraham rich." Then, when God said to him, "Your reward will be great," he laments his childlessness; and he hears again that the one who will come forth from him will inherit him, and that his seed will be as the stars of heaven. Here lies the saying, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." He makes the divided pieces, and learns that his seed will be a sojourner, and that after these things it will depart, after being humbled four hundred years. But Sarah, since she was barren, gives Hagar to Abraham, so that he might beget children by her. And when she conceived, she was lifted up against her mistress; and Abraham gives her to Sarah, so that she might ward off her own insult. But she, maltreated by her mistress, fled from the house, and is commanded by an angel to return to her mistress; and she receives a promise that her seed will increase into a multitude, and the angel gives a name to the child before he is born, calling him Ishmael. Hagar bore Ishmael, and Abraham, being ninety-nine years old, was renamed. For he was no longer called Abram, but Abraham. He is commanded by God to be circumcised, he with his whole household.

And the name of Sara is changed, and she is called Sarra. And Abraham receives the promise concerning Isaac. The Son of God appears to Abraham with two angels, and says to him: I will return to you at this season in due time, and Sarra your wife will have a son. Abraham entreats God for Sodom. The two angels come to Lot. The Sodomites, coming upon them, sought them, and are struck with blindness. And the angels, taking Lot, went out of the house; and he himself together with his daughters is saved in Segor; but his wife became a pillar of salt, because she looked back. And when the land of Sodom was burned, and Lot departed to the mountain, his daughters conceived by him, and the elder bore Moab, and the younger Ammon; but they stole the union with their father by drunkenness; for they thought the human race had perished. Abraham sojourned in Gerara, and Abimelech king of Gerara took Sarra; but when God threatened him, he defended himself, saying that he had regarded the woman as his sister; for so she herself said. And he restored her to Abraham with gifts. Then, being restored, she bore Isaac. And he casts out the maidservant from the house with the child Ishmael. And Abimelech makes a covenant with Abraham, that they should not wrong one another, and receives seven lambs from Abraham, as a testimony of the well of the oath, that it might be clear that it belongs to Abraham. He is commanded to bring his son for a whole burnt offering, and he is brought, and a ram is slain in his stead.

But these things were types of the coming dispensation that was to be accomplished by Christ on our behalf. Sarra dies, and Abraham, having bought a place from Ephron the Hittite, buries his wife there, and sends his servant to betroth a wife to Isaac from Mesopotamia, charging him not to turn his son back there, unless the woman were unwilling to come. And when the servant came to the city of Nachor, he asked for a sign by which he was to recognize the virgin; and the sign was that she should give him and his camels water to drink. Rebekka, the daughter of Bathouel the son of Nachor—and Nachor was the brother of Abraham—comes out; and having given him and the camels water to drink, and having said whose daughter she was, she brings the man in and entertains him. And when he had said for what reason he had come, and asked to take the girl, her parents left the choice to the virgin. And when she consented, he took her and departed; and she became the wife of Isaac. Abraham takes Chettoura as a wife, after Sarra's death, and sent away the children born from her from Isaac, giving them gifts

To them he made Isaac heir of his substance, and he died. The names of the sons of Ishmael are recorded here; and he dwelt from Evilat as far as Sur. When Rebecca was barren, Isaac entreated God that she might conceive; and when she had conceived, God said to her: Two nations are in your womb, and a people shall prevail over a people; foretelling the things concerning the Jews and us Christians. And when the children were born and had grown, Esau sells and hands over his birthright to Jacob for a mess of boiled lentils. But when Isaac wished to go down into Egypt, because a famine prevailed, God prevented him, advising him to remain where he dwelt, and promising to be with him, and to bless his seed and multiply it. But when Abimelech, king of Gerar, learned that Rebecca was the wife of Isaac (for he had suspected that she was his sister), he decreed death for anyone who should do violence to her. Then Isaac sowed, and found a hundredfold of barley. And when he had come into great wealth from the blessing of God, the Philistines envied him, and Abimelech drove him away from there. But he did not retaliate, but withdrew, and dug wells, and they fought over them. But he did not resist, but dug others, until they ceased. And God blessed him. And Isaac received Abimelech when he came to him gladly and feasted him, not remembering the wrongs he had suffered. Esau took Canaanite wives, and they quarreled with Rebecca. Isaac grew old and his eyes grew dim, and he commands his son Esau to hunt and prepare food for him, so that he might bless him. But Jacob, with his mother assisting him, got ahead of Esau.

For she boiled two kids and put their skins on him, so that she might conceal the smoothness of the boy, and she gave the dishes into his hands and sent him in. And he went in and received the blessings. But Esau came, and when he learned what had happened, he lamented and wailed, and he asked that he too be blessed, and by his persistence he obtained it, though nothing as great as he had hoped; yet he obtained it nonetheless. Having therefore been blessed with little instead of great things, he was angry with his brother, bore a grudge, and waited for his father's death, so that he might then plot against him more fearlessly. Their mother discloses these things to Jacob and urges him to find safety in flight; and having said to Isaac that her life would be unlivable if Jacob should also take a wife from the Canaanites, she persuades Isaac to send Jacob away to Mesopotamia, to her brother Laban, and to take a wife from his daughters. And after Jacob departed, Esau takes Ishmael's daughter as a wife for himself. Now Ishmael was a son of Abraham, born to him of Hagar. Jacob sees the ladder, sets up a pillar, and promises to give a tenth of his possessions to God, if he should return in health. He comes to Mesopotamia, sees Rachel, and kisses her; the girl went away and reported it to her father Laban. When he came, he recognized Jacob and brought him into his house. He served him for the wages of a daughter; and he gave him the elder. But when Jacob was displeased at the deception, he proposes that he serve another seven years, if he wished also to take the younger. And he endured this too, and takes also the younger.

Now the elder was weak in her eyes, Leah; and the younger was beautiful, Rachel. These are types: the elder of the synagogue of the Jews, and the younger of the Church of Christ. Leah conceived and bore Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. But Rachel, since she did not bear, gave to Jacob as a second wife her maidservant Bilhah, and she bore Dan and Naphtali. And Leah also gave her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife, and she bore Gad and Asher. After these things Leah bore in succession Issachar and Zebulun. Then Rachel also bore Joseph. And when Jacob wished to depart to his own land, Laban gave him his wages, which Jacob himself had specified: every dark-colored one among the rams, and every white one among the goats. And when many such had come to be—for he placed rods in the watering troughs, and the sheep conceived and bore white and speckled and ash-colored spotted young—the whole was the work of God, as Jacob himself says. And the sons of Laban envied him, and taking his wives secretly with his possessions he departed. But Laban pursued, and before he could meet him, God threatened him, if he should deal harshly with Jacob. And when he came, at first he reproached him and sought the reason for the secret departure. But when Jacob said that he had done this because he was envied, lest he should take his daughters, Laban sought his gods, which Rachel had stolen. And when he did not find them, Jacob set upon him vehemently, bringing accusation.

And finally, having eaten and drunk, they separated from one another, setting up there a heap of stones, which they also called the Heap of Witness. Then angels of God met Jacob. Jacob sends to Esau, announcing his arrival. And when those sent had come and said that Esau was coming with four hundred men, becoming fearful he beseeches God to deliver him from the impending danger, and he sends gifts to Esau. And when Jacob entered the brook and was blessed, and his name was changed, he sees Esau coming, and dividing the multitude, he placed the maidservants with their children first, and Leah second with her children, and he commanded Rachel with Joseph to come last, while he himself went first. And when Esau saw him gladly and received the gifts from him, he thought it right to journey together with him; but he declined. And having come, he lodged in Salem, a city of Shechem, where Shechem the son of Emmor the king, having fallen in love with Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and having defiled the virgin, thought it right to take her as a wife according to the law of marriage. And Simeon and Levi said they would readily give her, if those men with their people were circumcised. And when they had been circumcised, while they were still in pain, Simeon and Levi killed them. Jacob thereafter feared lest the neighboring Canaanites join in attacking him; and at God's command he went up to Bethel. And the nurse of Rebecca died. And when God blessed him, having departed from Bethel he settled beyond the tower of Gader. Then Rachel had a difficult birth, and died, and was buried on the road to Ephratha; this is Bethlehem. And the one born was Benjamin.

Then Reuben lay with Balla, his father's concubine. Then Isaac died, and Esau and Jacob buried him. The descendants of Esau are recorded by genealogy, where Job is found to be one of them; but here he is called Jobab. Joseph's brothers were envious of him because of his dreams, and because his father loved him more. And taking him alone, they wanted to kill him; but when Reuben advised them to throw him into a pit (for he wished for the time being to rescue him from death), after they had thrown him in, they later sold him to the Midianites, Judah having proposed this. And having dipped his tunic in blood, they showed it to their father. And he, thinking he had been caught by a wild beast, mourned bitterly. To Judah were born Er, Onan, and Shelah. And when Er died, his brother Onan took his wife Tamar; and he did not wish to raise up seed for his brother. And when this one also died, Judah no longer wished to give Tamar as wife to the third, Shelah. And Tamar, having adorned herself, sat as a prostitute beside the road. And Judah, thinking her truly to be a prostitute (for her face was covered), went in to her, and gave her a pledge: a necklace and a ring and a staff. And when it was reported after these things that Tamar was pregnant, her father-in-law Judah ordered her to be burned. And she sent word, saying that she had conceived by the man whose ring this is. Then Judah says: Tamar has been justified rather than I. And when she was giving birth, Zara put out his hand first, then drew it back, and Phares came out, and then Zara. These things are allegorized in this way.

The first people, he says, the righteous before the law, put forth the hand—that is, the virtuous and angelic way of life. Then in the middle the law was interposed; and after these things that former life was called back again, brought to greater perfection through the way of life according to Christ. Pharaoh's chief cook, Pentephres, bought Joseph and entrusted to him the affairs of his household. He did not yield to the mistress when she commanded him to transgress the law. He was slandered and cast into prison; he was a ruler there also, and he interpreted the dreams for the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. It came to pass as he said: the one was put to death, and the other returned to his former honor. Pharaoh saw the dreams of the cows and the ears of grain, by which were signified the abundance and the famine that succeeded it. Joseph was brought out of the prison to interpret, for the chief cupbearer had reported him. He interpreted and also gave counsel that would alleviate the famine. He became second after Pharaoh, and having gathered much grain in the seven years of abundance, when the famine came he sold it to those who wished. His brothers also came to buy. But since he did not see Benjamin with them, fearing lest they had destroyed him also, he accused them of being spies of the land, and said there was no other solution to the charge except that they bring down their younger brother Benjamin to Egypt and be able to show him. And taking Simeon from them and binding him, he sent the rest away, giving them both the grain and the silver. But when they saw the silver in the emptying of their sacks, they were troubled at the strange thing, and they asked their father to let them take Benjamin, reporting all that had happened.

But he held on to the child. And when the famine prevailed, and Judah pressed to take Benjamin, promising that he would return safe and sound, Jacob gave the money doubled, commanding that other gifts also be brought. And when they came to Joseph, he received them kindly, and asked about their father, and feasted them splendidly. But when it was time to depart, he ordered the silver cup to be put into Benjamin's sack, without their knowing. And when it had been put in and they took it and departed, Joseph commanded the steward of the house to pursue the men. And he, having pursued them, reproached them, saying that they had repaid their benefactor with evil. And as they were troubled, and were for condemning the one caught in the theft, if he should be found, to death, but themselves to slavery, it was found with Benjamin. Then Judah came in, and having stretched out a long speech about his father and about Joseph and about Benjamin, who had chosen to be a slave himself in place of the youth, he brought Joseph into such great pity that the whole tent was convicted. For having cast everyone out, so that he might have freedom to weep, he made himself known to his brothers, and sent for his father with gifts and wagons; and Pharaoh also consented to this. And when Jacob heard the things concerning Joseph, he was overjoyed, and at God's command he went down into Egypt. The father sees Joseph, these things were reported to Pharaoh, and he settled in Rameses. And when the money of the land was exhausted, the people, giving their cattle, received grain; but when these also failed, and the famine did not cease, they gave themselves along with the land.

And having become servants of Pharaoh, they sowed, and gave him the fifth part, while they themselves enjoyed the four. And Jacob, being about to die, demanded an oath from Joseph, that he should not bury him in Egypt, but in the tomb of his fathers. And the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, he reckons not in the rank of grandsons, but of sons. And Jacob's eyes were dim; and when he had kissed them, and it was time to bless them, Joseph placed Ephraim on Jacob's left, and Manasseh on his right. But Jacob laid his right hand on the younger who stood on the left, and his left on the one on the right, and blessed them. And when Joseph thought that his father did this in ignorance, and corrected him, Jacob did not endure it; for he said, knowing, I do this, not in ignorance. Then Jacob gives to Joseph Shechem as a choice portion, which Simeon and Levi had taken. And he blesses his sons. Here he prophesies concerning Christ. There shall not fail, he says, a ruler from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until he comes to whom it is reserved. And when Jacob died, Joseph mourned for him, and carried him up and buried him in the cave of Abraham. Then his brothers said: Lest perhaps he bear a grudge, and repay us the evils which we showed him. And they besought him, saying: Behold, we are your servants. And Joseph wept, and said to them: Do not fear; for I am of God. You devised evil, but God has repaid me with good. I will nourish you and your households. So Joseph lived a hundred years, and saw Ephraim's children to the third generation.

He says therefore to his brothers: God will surely visit you, and will bring you into the land of promise, which he swore to our fathers to give them. And you shall carry up my bones with you. And having died at the age of a hundred years, he was buried in the coffin in Egypt. Synopsis of Exodus. A king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph, and he afflicted the Israelites with clay and brickmaking. He commanded the midwives also to kill the males of the Israelites; but when they did not yield, he entrusted the daring deed to the people. Then Moses is born of the tribe of Levi, and his parents exposed him in a chest. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down, and took up the child, and gave him to be nursed. So Moses, having become great, went out to the sons of Israel. And having observed their distress, he sees an Egyptian striking a Hebrew. And looking around this way and that, he sees no one; and having struck the Egyptian, he hid him in the sand. And going out on the second day, he sees two Hebrews quarreling, and he says to one of them: Why do you strike your neighbor? And he said: Who appointed you a ruler and judge over us? Do you wish to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Moses therefore was afraid; and Pharaoh heard the report, and sought to kill Moses. And Moses, being afraid, withdrew to Midian; he helped the daughters of Jethro to water their flock. And they reported what had happened to their father, and brought Moses in to him. And he gives him his daughter as a wife; and she bore to Moses Gershom and Eliezer. And while he was shepherding, God spoke to him; when he came, he saw the wonder at the bush, when it was burning and was not consumed.

And he sends him to Egypt, saying: Say, I am the one who is. And he is commanded to gather the elders, and thus to enter before Pharaoh, and to instruct the people, when they depart, to use silver and gold vessels from their neighbors. And he gives him such signs so that he may be believed: the staff, which became a serpent; the change of his hand—for it became like snow, and again was restored to its own color; the water of the river. For you shall pour out from it, he says, onto the dry land, and it shall be blood. But Moses declined; then God, being angered, joined Aaron to him. Moses reported to his father-in-law Jethro that he was about to depart for Egypt. And when the king who was seeking his life had died, God says to him: Enter into Egypt. And taking the children and his wife, he thus entered. Therefore also an angel appears frightening him. For it was not because of circumcision (for if it were for the sake of circumcision, the angel should not have risen earlier, until his mother also circumcised the other), but for the sake of not taking his wife into Egypt. For he was not sent to dwell there, but to lead Israel out; which he himself also understanding, he dismisses his wife. And from where is it clear that he dismissed her? When he departed from Egypt, his father-in-law Jethro meets him with his wife. Aaron comes to Moses, and both gathered the elders of Israel, and reported to them the things from God; and they rejoiced.

And when they went in before Pharaoh also and ordered him to send the people away, the king not only did not yield, but even afflicted the Israelites more, ordering that no straw be given to them, but that they procure it for themselves. And when the scribes were scourged because the work was not being completed, they appealed to Pharaoh, and gained nothing. From then on they cried out against Moses; and again he is sent to the Israelites, proclaiming to them their exodus. But they did not listen to Moses because of their faint-heartedness. Here Moses is given his genealogy, and God says to him: I have made you a god to Pharaoh; and he sends him to Pharaoh, ordering him to show a sign, if the king should ask for one, namely that of the staff turned into a serpent. And when the staff became a serpent and he did not yield, the water of the river is turned into blood, the land is filled with frogs; then lice came, then the dog-fly, then the death of the cattle, then the boils, then the hail and the fire, then the locust, and the palpable darkness. And when the death of the firstborn was about to be brought on, they are ordered to sacrifice a male sheep, unblemished, and to anoint the doorposts with its blood; for those who were in the house in which the blood of the lamb was would not perish. Then he also legislates for them the seven days of unleavened bread; and if they enter into the land of promise, he commands them to keep the worship. And if your sons ask you, he says, you shall say: This is the sacrifice of the Passover to the Lord. And when at midnight the firstborn of the Egyptians perished, they drove the Israelites out of Egypt.

And they went out, taking the vessels of silver and gold, and a great mixed multitude with them, and sheep, and oxen, and cattle. And the dwelling of the sons of Israel, which they and their fathers dwelt in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, was four hundred and thirty years. And God said: Sanctify and set apart to me every firstborn from man to beast, because he killed the firstborn of the Egyptians. But he did not lead them through the land of the Philistines, lest they repent when they see war, and turn back to Egypt, but through the Red Sea. And in the fifth generation the sons of Israel went up out of Egypt; and Moses took the bones of Joseph. And God led Israel by a pillar of fire by night, and by a pillar of cloud by day. And when Pharaoh pursued them, having repented, Moses struck the sea with the rod, and it was divided; and when the Israelites had passed through, it came together against the Egyptians, and drowned them. And Moses sang the song, and Mariam also sang with the women. They came to Marrah, where the water was bitter, and Moses sweetened it by the wood. They came to where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; and the place was called Elim. They came from there into the wilderness between Elim and Sinai. Then the Israelites murmured in the wilderness, seeking meat. Then he rained manna upon them. Then he brought the quail. Here, concerning the manna, that what was much did not abound, and what was little did not diminish, he commanded that none be left until the next day. But they disobeyed, and what was left became full of worms. He said: Do not go out to gather on the Sabbath.

But they disobeyed in this also, and when they went out they did not find it. Moses commands that some of the manna be laid up in a golden jar for the generations after these. And they ate the manna forty years. Then they murmured because of thirst. And Moses struck the rock, and the water came out. Amalek comes to make war on Israel; and Joshua the son of Nun routed him; and as long as the hands of Moses were held up, Israel prevailed, but when he let them down, they were defeated. This was a type of the cross. For Aaron and Hur stood supporting the hands of Moses. And the Lord said to Moses: Write this down for a memorial in a book. Jethro the father-in-law of Moses meets with Moses and the people (for the Scripture calls him father-in-law loosely). Moses recounts the wonders to his father-in-law, and he marveled. And when he saw all the people standing by Moses, and that he was not sufficient to judge them all, his father-in-law says to him: Choose able men, God-fearing, righteous, hating arrogance, and appoint them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, rulers of tens. Moses did so, and went up to the mountain. And

God commanded him to tell the people that they would be to God a royal priesthood, a holy nation, if they would obey. And they said, "All that God has spoken we will do and we will hear." Then he commands the people to purify themselves until the third day, and to wash their garments. Here too is mentioned what is found in the Apostle in the letter to the Hebrews: "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." Then the mountain was smoking, and the sounds of trumpets resounded. Then Moses receives the commandments of the law, the Decalogue, and the remaining ordinances. But the saying "You shall not speak evil of gods" is not said concerning idols, but concerning rulers; for he adds, "You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people." He promises, if they would obey, many good things to them: that they would prevail over the nations, an inheritance of the land, that he would bless their water and their bread, that he would deliver them from every sickness, that there would be no barren woman among them, nor one without offspring, nor premature death, and that he would set their boundaries from the Red Sea to Philistia, from the desert to the Euphrates. Then Moses sacrifices, and poured half of the blood against the altar; and taking the blood he sprinkled it on the people. Paul remembers these things in the letter to the Hebrews, saying, "Not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood." Moses is commanded to go up and receive the tablets. And he was there forty days and forty nights. And he heard the arrangement of the tabernacle and of the things in it, and of the priestly garment, and of the anointing of the priests, and of the ransoms. And these were: that each give half of the didrachm, that is, ten obols.

And he gives instructions about the composition of the oil, and about the keeping of the Sabbath. The Israelites assemble against Aaron and practice idolatry. Then God says to Moses: "Let me alone, and I will blot them out, and I will make you into a great nation." But when Moses came down and saw the calf and the people playing, he threw down the tablets and shattered them, and he rebuked Aaron, and he commanded the sons of Levi to come, and said: "Whoever is for the Lord, let him come to me," to slay each his brother and his neighbor. And three thousand men fell. Then Moses went up and says to God: "If you forgive them their sin, forgive; but if not, blot me out of the book which you have written." Then the people mourned, and it was commanded to remove his ornament. Here it is said: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, as a man speaks to his own friend." But Joshua the son of Nun did not go out from the tent. Then Moses entreats God not to abandon the people; and having cut two tablets, he receives the Decalogue, having again spent forty days and forty nights. And he commands him again about the Passover, about the Sabbath, about destroying the gods of the nations, and about sanctifying to him the firstborn. Here it is stated that Moses spoke to the people with a veil; which Paul mentions in the second letter to the Corinthians. Then they are given instructions about the Sabbath, and about the material that was to be brought forward for the construction of the tent, that is, about the gold, the bronze, the hair, and the rest of the material.

And they brought with great eagerness, so that there was even an excess; and Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, and Eliab of the tribe of Dan, made all things for the construction, and the tabernacle was set up, and the cloud covered it. And the amount consumed for the works was twenty-nine talents of gold and six hundred shekels, and a hundred talents of silver, six hundred and seventy-two shekels, and seventy talents of bronze, and two thousand five hundred shekels. Leviticus, the third book. This book is called Leviticus, since it specifically contains the entire arrangement of the Levitical service, and how Aaron and his sons are chosen from the tribe of Levi and are anointed as priests, and the entire distinction of the sacrifices; and the whole character of the worship in the temple and of the priestly service. It also recounts the law of each sacrifice, concerning the peace offering and the voluntary and involuntary trespass, and how each of the offerings ought to be divided and carried up. It recounts these things. And in this book is the anointing of the high priest and of the priests, and the discernment and knowledge of the signs concerning leprosy of people and of garments and of the wall of a house, and the law concerning their cleansing. And there is a law and distinction concerning lawful marriages, and who are unlawful. And again a distinction of clean and unclean cattle and birds and fish and reptiles, and of which of these the Hebrews ought to taste, and from which they were commanded to abstain. And it makes known the day of trumpets on the new moon of the seventh month.

But the ordinance of the great fast is that they should keep it in the seventh month itself, on the tenth day of the month, which he calls a Sabbath of sabbaths and a remission of sins. It contains the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth of the same month. And concerning the feasts, and those things which ought to be offered in them. And concerning the release of Hebrews who are sold, and the cancellation of debts, and concerning the rest of the land, which ought to take place every seven years. He explains again both a reminder of the laws and the commandments and the testimonies. It contains both promises for those who keep it, and most terrible threats for those who transgress. And he makes the distinction and the reason for clean and unclean foods as follows. And from the cattle he calls those clean which are such as these: those that part the hoof and have claws, clawed in two hooves, and that chew the cud; such as are the calf, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the buffalo, the gazelle, the oryx, the pygarg, the tragelaphus, the camelopard, and the like. But if any of these lacks something, it is unclean; such as are the camel and the hare and the cherogrillus; for these chew the cud but do not part the hoof; and the pig; and this one parts the hoof and has claws, but does not chew the cud. And from the birds, those which he commands not to eat are these: the eagle, the griffin, the fisher [variant: the haliaetus], the vulture, the kite, the raven, and those like them, and the hawk and those like them, and the night-raven, and the cormorant, and the ibis, and the purple bird, and the pelican, and the swan, and the heron, and the plover, and those like them, and the hoopoe and the bat.

Of the creeping winged creatures he says that all are unclean—those that go on four legs but have legs above their feet, so as to leap with them from the ground, such as the bruchos, the pittakos, the attagos, and the akris, and those like them, and the ophiouchos. But those in the waters, whether in the sea or in rivers and winter torrents, he says are clean—as many as have fins and scales, such as the trigla, the skaros, the glaukos, the kestreus, and those like them. But those lacking any of these are unclean and not to be eaten, such as the sepia; for it has fins but not scales. Of the creeping things on the earth he says these are unclean: the galē, the mys, the land crocodile, the mygalē, and the chameleon, the askalabōtēs, the saura, and the aspalax. For concerning the serpent and those like it, it is superfluous to mention it in this place; for it was evident to all that these are abominable and hateful. Likewise he also mentioned them in Deuteronomy. It further contains [teaching] about dead carcasses as forbidden, and likewise about blood, and about women who give birth. And if it be a seminal emission, he shall be unclean seven days. And about the circumcision of the infant on the eighth day. And about the menstrual flux, and about the difference in purification for women who give birth to a male or a female. And a law concerning leprosy and its cleansing, and concerning those with a discharge and seminal emission. And about reverence, and about the scapegoat, and about fasting.

And concerning the need not to make disorderly unions, and concerning lawful and unlawful marriages, and that the priest must not take a widow or a divorced woman, but a virgin and one undefiled by all (so the text; perhaps "spotless"). And concerning a priest's daughter who plays the harlot. And concerning the priest being without blemish. And concerning the gifts that are offered. And concerning sabbaths, and feasts, and the feast of Passover, and of Tabernacles, and of the trumpets. And concerning the oil, the light, and the loaves of the presence, and concerning the year of release. Then concerning Jewish and Gentile slaves. And concerning the prohibition of idols, speaking thus: For I am your God; you shall not make for yourselves things made with hands, nor graven images, nor shall you set up a pillar for yourselves, nor shall you place a stone of sight in your land to worship it. In addition to these, the threats against transgressors thus: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, when you were slaves, and I shattered the bond of your yoke, and I led you with boldness. But if you do not obey me, nor do these my commandments, but disobey them, and your soul loathes my judgments, so that you do not do all my commandments, so as to scatter my covenant, then I will do thus to you, and I will bring upon you distress, both the scab and the jaundice that makes your eyes glare; and you shall sow your seeds in vain, and your adversaries shall eat them. And thus the book, containing these things along with the remaining ordinances and commandments, is completed in these. Synopsis of Numbers.

Moses is commanded to number the people from twenty years old and upward, and there were six hundred thousand and three thousand, and six hundred and fifty, apart from the Levites. The Levites are enrolled by genealogy and numbered, and there were twenty-two thousand from a month old and upward. And since the firstborn of Israel were twenty-two thousand and three hundred and seventy, Moses received ransom for the excess, and gives it to Aaron. And the ransom was a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels per head. He ordains who must serve and who the Levites ought to be; for not all were deemed worthy of the same honor. Some were entrusted with the more precious vessels of the tabernacle, others with the lesser. And the Levites from twenty years old and upward, who also served, up to fifty years, were eight thousand five hundred and eighty-three. Then he commands that everything unclean be sent out of the camp, and he discusses the sacrifice for trespass, and ordains the law of jealousy, so that a woman not be falsely accused of adultery, nor one who has been defiled be able to marry. Concerning the vow of consecration it is ordained, and how the priest must bless the sons of Israel. And when the tabernacle was set up, the rulers brought many and great gifts. Moses is commanded to purify the Levites, and he hears that from twenty years old they must serve and upward, but from fifty years to withdraw from the service. God commands them through Moses to keep the Passover. For say, he says, and let the sons of Israel keep the Passover. For it was the first month of the second year.

The unclean came to Moses, and he brought their case before God. And God commanded that the one who was unable to sacrifice the Passover in the first month, either because he was unclean or because he was on a long journey, should do so in the second month, on the fourteenth day. But if anyone, being clean and not on a long journey, should not wish to sacrifice the Passover in the first month, he shall be under sin. There shall be, it says, one law for the proselyte and for the native-born. Whenever the cloud went up, the sons of Israel set out, and wherever it stood, there they encamped. Moses is commanded to make silver trumpets, so that through them he might signal the people whenever they needed to set out, whenever they needed to gather the people in wars, in sacrifices; to use these trumpets at festivals, at new moons, at burnt offerings. And when the sons of Israel set out, Moses entreated Hobab the son of Raguel, who is also Jethro, that he might share with him both the journey and the good things promised to them. And as the ark set out, Moses said: Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered; let all who hate you flee. And the people grumbled, and part of the camp was burned up, and the place was called the burning. And Moses prayed, and the punishment ceased. And they sought meat, and said: We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt, the cucumbers, and

the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic. But now our soul is dried up; our eyes are on nothing except the manna. And when he grew weary of their resistance, and appealed to God, he added to him seventy elders, so that they might assist him in the leadership. Then, when Joshua the son of Nun said, "Stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying," Moses says, "Are you jealous for my sake? And who would give all the Lord's people to be prophets?" Then quail came up from the Lord, and they ate. And the meat was still in their teeth before it failed. This is what was said in the psalm: "While the food was still in their mouth, the wrath of God rose up against them; and he killed them among the majority of them." And that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah. Then Miriam spoke against Moses, saying, "Did God speak to him alone?" And when God said that he had thus spoken to him alone of the prophets, he laid leprosy on Miriam, and when Moses pleaded for her, he did not let her be cleansed until she had spent seven days outside the camp. Then he sends some of the people to spy out the land of Canaan. And after spying it out, they brought back a cluster of grapes from there, and they marveled at the land. For they were afraid of the people, since the men there were warlike. But Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, themselves also among the spies, encouraged the people. But they came to stone them; and God, angered, said that those who had grumbled would not go up into the land of promise, except their children, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua.

Forty years, he says, they will be in the wilderness, until the children grow up, according to the number of the days in which they spied out the land. Then all the spies died, except Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun, and the people mourned. They went up against Amalek against the will of God, and the ark remained in the camp with Moses. And Amalek came out and cut them down. He gives commands concerning whole burnt offerings, concerning first-fruits, concerning sacrifices for trespass. Someone was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath, and was stoned. They are commanded to make fringes on the corners. The matters concerning Korah, Dathan, and Abiram: their rebellion, the punishment which they gave. But the rest of the people, when these things happened, were not brought to their senses, but again rose up against Moses, and fourteen thousand seven hundred die. Then the rod of Aaron blossomed. He speaks and ordains what the Levites and the high priest must receive. And he legislates concerning the ashes of the heifer, from which the water of sprinkling was made. And the heifer itself seemed to some to be a type of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. And by the ashes of the heifer the one who was unclean from a dead body was cleansed. And the people came to Kadesh, and there Miriam died and was buried. Since there was no water, the Jews again murmur; and Moses and Aaron are commanded to bring water out of the rock. Moses struck it, saying, Shall we not bring water out of this rock for you? And water came out. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

Because you did not believe me, to sanctify me before the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land that I gave to them. Moses sends an embassy to the king of Edom, asking him to let them pass through; but he did not permit it, and the sons of Israel turned aside from him. And when they came to Mount Hor, at God's command, Moses took Aaron and Eleazar his son and brought them up the mountain; and he put his garments on Eleazar. And Aaron died on the mountain. And the people mourned for thirty days. They took the Canaanite and devoted him to destruction. And when they came to the Red Sea, they went around the land of Edom, and they grew faint-hearted and murmured against Moses; and God sent deadly serpents upon them. And Moses prayed; and he made a bronze serpent, having been commanded by God. And the one who was bitten, whenever he looked up at the serpent, lived. Concerning this serpent it has been said in the Gospel: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Moses sends an embassy to Sihon, the king of the Amorites. But this Sihon, having first made war on the king of Moab, took his land. And when he also joined battle with the Israelites, he was defeated utterly, and the Israelites took all his cities. And having also engaged Og king of Bashan, they visited the same evils upon him as upon Sihon, and took his land and all his cities. Balak the king sends to Balaam the seer, that he might curse the people. But God at first prevented him.

When he pressed the seer, he permitted him to go, but not to curse; rather, he turned the curses into blessings. Not because the curses of the seer had any power, but because the people were wretched, and he was going to believe his curses and be condemned there on account of their own weakness. This man prophesies concerning Christ, saying: A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a man shall arise out of Israel. For the Spirit of God came upon the seer. And when Balaam departed, the sons of Israel went out to the daughters of Moab, and were initiated into Baal-peor. Then Moses commanded each one to kill his brother who had committed idolatry. Then also Phinehas the son of Eleazar pierced through Zimri the Israelite, and Cozbi the Midianite woman with him; and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Then the sons of Israel were numbered from twenty years old and upward, and there were found six hundred thousand, and three thousand and thirty men; and the Levites twenty-three thousand from a month old and upward. This census took place in Araboth Moab, beyond the Jordan. And there was not a man among them from those whom Moses had numbered previously in the wilderness of Sinai, except Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Some daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh came forward, asking that, since their father had died without male children, the inheritance and the possession should come to them. God commanded that they should receive it. And if anyone dies having no son, let the daughter inherit; and if there is no daughter, the brother; and if there is no brother, the father's brother.

God shows Moses from the mountain of Nau the land of promise, and Joshua the son of Nau is appointed in his place. Then he gives commands to the sons of Israel concerning whole burnt offerings, the daily sacrifices, those on the sabbaths, those on the new moons, those at the Passover, those on the day of the weeks, those in the seventh month. He also gives ordinances concerning vows, that is, whatever a person may vow. Then twelve thousand of the Israelites are armed against the Midianites, and Phinehas with them, and they destroy them, and the five kings of Midian, and Balaam the seer. And they set apart the firstfruits of the spoils for God, and divided the rest among themselves. The tribe of Reuben and Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, came forward and asked Moses for the land beyond the Jordan. And he gave it, after they had first agreed to fight as allies with the rest of the Israelites, and to cross the Jordan with their weapons, so as to wage war on behalf of their brothers. Here Moses recounts from Egypt until they came opposite Jericho. He commands them to utterly destroy all the idols of the nations. He also tells them about the boundaries of the land, where they begin and where they end. And he gives instructions also about the land which the Levites were to receive, and about the six cities of refuge, so that one who has killed unintentionally may flee there and be delivered from danger, remaining there until the high priest dies. But if he is caught outside the boundaries of the city, and the kinsman of the slain man kills him, he shall not be punished. And he speaks briefly about the laws laid down concerning murders.

The leaders of the tribe of Manasseh come to Moses, saying: Since it seemed good that the daughters of Salpaad receive an inheritance, if it should happen that they are married to a man from another tribe, what is to become of it? For the inheritance of our tribe will pass over to that tribe. Then Moses commanded that a man take a wife from his own tribe, so that inheritances might not be transferred from tribe to tribe. Synopsis of Deuteronomy. As in summary, Moses recounts all the first things, bringing them to remembrance of both God's beneficence and their own wickedness. An exhortation concerning not worshipping idols. Here is also the saying, Do not worship the stars, which the Lord your God apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But the word "apportioned" is not because he himself commanded it—far be it!—but as the blessed Paul says: God handed them over to a reprobate mind, not because he handed them over, but because, having chosen it themselves and being unwilling to turn back, he left them. Thus here, "he apportioned to them," that is, those who chose error and did not wish to turn back, he left. Here, proceeding a little further, he says: I call heaven and earth to witness against you, that you will utterly perish, if you depart from God. Then he shows that God granted these things to no one else which he granted to them. And he sets apart three cities of the Jordan as a place of refuge. Still he reminds them of the former things, and says, And you shall bind them on your hands, and you shall write them on your doorposts, and you shall teach your son.

Having said what evils will befall them if they disobey, he encourages them not to fear the enemies. Again he reminds them of former things. Here is found the saying, Take heed to yourself, which he often adds as he goes on, and he exhorts them not to ascribe their victories to their own power, but to the grace of God. Here is found that God is a consuming fire, which Paul set down in the letter to the Hebrews. At the same time Moses exhorts them not to be puffed up. For not because of your righteousness, he says, O Israel, will the nations be destroyed, but because of their impiety. He reminds them also of the making of the calf. Here is found: Circumcise the hardness of your hearts, and you shall not harden your necks. He praises the land of promise. Here is found: When you have eaten and drunk and been filled, take heed to yourself; and he foretells the evils for those who disobey, and the good things if they obey. And he commands that the blessing be given on Mount Garizin, and the curse on Mount Gebal; to destroy the idols and their places. He commands that sacrifices be offered to God not everywhere, but in the place which he shall choose. Concerning not emulating the nations, nor obeying anyone who advises idolatry, even if he works signs, neither a friend nor anyone else, but stoning the one who advises it, even if he is a brother; and if a city practices idolatry, to make it utterly destroyed. He advises what one should eat and what to refuse. He legislates concerning the remission of debts, concerning the remission and freedom of those who serve, concerning firstborn, concerning the Passover.

Here is found the saying, You shall not be able to keep the Passover in any of the cities which the Lord your God gives you, but in the place which the Lord your God shall choose. Concerning the weeks, concerning the tabernacles, concerning judges, concerning kings, if ever they should come to desire that someone reign. Concerning the Levites, and what they ought to receive. Concerning the necessity of not resorting to those called purifiers, or to enchanters, or to divinations or omens, or such things. Here is found the saying, God will raise up for you a prophet like me. And he gives ordinances concerning the cities of refuge. Here is found, By the mouth of two witnesses and three every word shall be established. And concerning false witnesses, what they ought to suffer. When war arises, he says who ought to be sent out, and not to allow them to fight alongside. He counsels not to kill enemies who fall in submission, except the seven nations. And all the cities, he says, when you take them, plunder, killing only the males. But from these, whose land you inherit, do not take any breathing creature alive. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees, he says, to set up a palisade in a siege. If anyone is found slain, and the slayer does not appear, he legislates what ought to be done. And if someone has two wives, and hates the one but loves the other, and it happens that the firstborn is the son of the hated one, do not

Let his beloved be preferred to him. Concerning a disobedient son. Here is found, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Since, then, a curse lay upon those who do not keep the law—Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in this book—Moses speaking concerning the law; and that curse Christ could not receive, for he fulfilled the law; he exchanged curse for curse, having been hanged on a tree. Concerning the fact that one ought not to neglect even the irrational animals of one's enemies, and he legislates other things, and discourses concerning marriage laws, and establishes penalties against those who do violence to virgins. Whom he forbids to enter the church, and he legislates concerning other matters, and concerning not taking interest. Concerning not delaying in the payment of vows, but fulfilling immediately whatever one has vowed. Concerning the woman who receives a bill of divorce, concerning pledges, concerning theft, concerning the wages of a hired worker, concerning the orphan, concerning the widow, concerning leaving gleanings of grain and grapes for the poor. Here is found the matter of the accused not receiving more than forty lashes for some injustice. And concerning not muzzling an ox that treads out grain, and concerning raising up seed for a dead brother by the surviving one, and what he will suffer if he does not wish to raise it up. Concerning weights, concerning measures. Concerning utterly destroying Amalek. Concerning firstfruits, concerning kindness toward widows and orphans. From here on, then, are the curses and blessings—the one for those who disobey, the other for those who obey. And he extends a long discourse concerning the evils that will succeed them.

This happened in the time of the Assyrians and Babylonians. But the eating of sons took place in sieges. And he makes mention of this here concerning Christ. Your life, he says, shall be hanging before your eyes. Here is found, Lest any root of bitterness, which Paul also mentioned in the letter to the Hebrews. Here is found, The hidden things belong to the Lord God, but the visible things to you and to your children. For his commandment, he says, will not be too great. It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who will go up to heaven? nor beyond the sea, but the word is near you, in your mouth. Paul drew these things, spoken concerning the commandment of the law, toward faith in Christ: I call heaven and earth to witness, he says, that you should love God. Then he calls Joshua the son of Nun, and commands him to lead the people, and not to fear the enemies, since they have God as their helper. And he exhorts that at the Feast of Tabernacles the law be read to all the people. God foretells to Moses that after his death the people will worship idols, and will be punished. Let this song, then, he says, be a witness against them. For they will never forget it. And Moses wrote the song, and foretold to them that they would act lawlessly. Here is found: They provoked me to jealousy with what is not God, and I will provoke them to jealousy with what is not a nation. Moses is commanded to go up to Mount Abarim, which was also called Nabau, and to see the land of promise; and after blessing each tribe, he died; and no one has seen his burial place to this day. Here the five books of Moses were completed, which the Samaritans alone accepted.

A Synopsis of Joshua the son of Nun. Joshua is commanded to instruct the people to attend to the law of God. He sends spies; they entered into Jericho. The king of the city, having heard, sent men seeking the men from Rahab the harlot, who had received them. And she hid the spies. And in return for this kindness she asked for the salvation of her household, when the city should be taken; and they nodded assent. And having departed, they reported what had happened. He commands the people to cross the Jordan, and they crossed on dry ground, and they set up twelve stones in the camp. When the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, and the kings of Phoenicia, heard that they had crossed the Jordan on dry ground, they melted away and were struck with amazement. Then Joshua, having been commanded, circumcises the Jews with stone knives. Since Israel had lived forty years in the wilderness, and for this reason most of their fighting men were uncircumcised, who also perished; in place of these he set up their sons, whom Joshua circumcised, because they had become uncircumcised on the way. Then he celebrated the Passover. And on the day when they ate unleavened bread from the grain of that land, the manna ceased. Joshua is commanded to loose his sandal, and to encircle Jericho with trumpets and the ark for seven days. When this was done, the walls fell of their own accord. It is clear, then, that from that time the Sabbath began to be loosed; for wherever one begins, it is necessary that the Sabbath fall within the six days.

Then Rahab is saved together with her kin, and she dwells in Israel, but the city is burned and placed under the ban, and Joshua cursed the one who would rebuild it. Achar stole from the accursed spoil, and the people, attacking another city, are defeated. Joshua prays to God; God commands that the accursed thing be removed. Achar was pointed out, the theft was exposed, and Achar was stoned together with his sons and daughters. Joshua renewed the battle, and took Gaza and set it on fire; and twelve thousand fell in it; and they hanged the king of the city on a tree. The kings of the Amorites and Canaanites, and the rest, gather to make war on Israel. Joshua builds an altar of whole stones and writes the Deuteronomy there. And half of them stand near Mount Gebal, and half near Mount Garizin. From here, the events concerning the Gibeonites. For these, having heard about the Israelites and fearing them because of what they had already accomplished against their enemies, come to them wearing old cloaks, carrying dry bread and worn-out sandals, and they say to the people that they have come from a land far away, and they made the cloaks, the bread, and the sandals a sign of dwelling far off. For they said that these had grown old on the journey, and that they had come to make a covenant of peace with them. But they, not having inquired of God, made the covenant. And when they learned that they had been deceived, and that they dwelt not far off but nearby, being unable to wage war against them because of the oaths, they made them slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water.

Here the prophecy of Noah is fulfilled, which he spoke: Canaan is a servant boy; for from him these descend. Adonibezek king of Jerusalem heard that Jericho and Gaza had been captured, and that the Gibeonites had defected, and he marches against them together with other kings. And they called Joshua into alliance. And he came and joined battle, and routed them; and hail was poured down upon them from above; and the hail killed more than the sons of Israel did with the sword. Then the sun stood still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Elom; and Joshua killed all the people of the enemies, and five kings. And he took Makela, and Lobna, and Lachis, and Odola, and Hebron, and Dabir, and the hill country, and the plain. Many other kings gathered together with great armies, and Joshua took these too. And here are set down both their names and their cities, and the number. And Joshua is commanded to distribute the land to the Israelites. And he describes which tribe received which allotments, and what was given to the Levites. Joshua sends out the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh to their allotments, which they received while Moses was still alive. And they departed and built an altar beside the Jordan. This disturbed the other tribes. For they thought that they had done this for the sake of revolt. They send to them bringing accusations; and they defended themselves, saying that they had not built the altar for the sake of revolt.

But so that those who come after you might not regard our sons as strangers to their own kinship, because the Jordan flows between the two parties—rather, so that the altar might be a testimony, and your children might not be able to say to our descendants, "You have no portion in the Lord." The remaining tribes were persuaded no longer to make war against them. Then Joshua summons the Israelites and reminds them of God's benefactions, and exhorts them to keep the law, and foretells the evils that will come upon them if they do not keep it, and he dies. Eleazar the priest also dies, and Phinehas his son served as priest in his place. And the Israelites practiced idolatry, and were delivered to Eglon king of Moab, and he ruled over them eighteen years. A summary of Judges. Here it is set down which cities they captured, and which the Israelites left to pay tribute to them. For having grown soft toward the hardships of war, they transgressed the command of God, who had ordered that all be utterly destroyed. An angel came from the Lord to the Israelites and rebuked their lawlessness. For it was necessary, he says, that all be destroyed, but you even made covenants with them; therefore God will not utterly destroy the remaining nations. Hearing these things they wept with one accord, and the place was called Weeping. And they kept transgressing and practicing idolatry continually, and were delivered to their enemies, and were released from slavery, and again persisted in the same evils. They were delivered to Chushar Sathon king of Syria for eight years, and the Lord saved them through Othniel the judge.

And they were handed over to Eglon king of Moab, and they cried out to God, and he raised up for them Aod, who by deceit killed Eglon and Moab. After him judged Somerar, Deborah, a woman prophet. And while the Israelites were enslaved to the king of Canaan, Deborah commanded Barak to command the war. But he would not endure it unless she herself also went out with him; and the woman went out with him. And when the war took place, the enemies fled, and the commander Jabis Sisara, coming to a certain woman called Jael, asked to drink; and she gave him milk instead of water. And when he had drunk and fallen asleep, the woman took a peg and drove it through his temple. And so Sisara died; and Barak came upon him and saw him dead. Then Deborah sang a song of victory. Again the Israelites were handed over into the hands of Madiam; for they continually provoked God. Then an angel appeared to Gedeon and urged him to war. Then the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his father's fatted calf and to offer a whole burnt offering, and to tear down the altar of Baal. He did so, and offered a whole burnt offering to God. And Gedeon, also called Jerobaal, asked for a sign, that which occurred on the fleece. And he is commanded to send away the whole army and to retain only three hundred. And he did so, and engaging with lamps and trumpets, he took the enemies. Then were slain Oreb and Zeb the rulers of Madiam, and Zebee and Salmana the kings. When Gedeon died he left seventy sons, and one from a concubine, Abimelek. This man, having killed the seventy, seized the kingdom.

And not long after he paid the penalty for his fratricide. For when he approached a certain city in war, his head was crushed by a woman with a fragment of a millstone, and he died. After Abimelech, Thola judged; after Thola, Jair. And the sons of Israel provoked God to anger, and were handed over into the hands of the Ammonites. Then Jephthah, who was the son of a harlot and had been driven out by his brothers from his fathers' house, the rulers of the people deem worthy to lead the war against the sons of Ammon, and they give him the rule. And he, having been persuaded, and having first sent an embassy to the king of the sons of Ammon, when he did not persuade him, having vowed to God to sacrifice the first one who met him, if he should return from the war, and having joined battle with the enemies and conquered, he sacrifices his own daughter; for she was the first to meet him. Again the Israelites provoked God to anger, and were handed over into the hands of the foreigners. Then Samson is born, and seeing a woman in Thamnatha, he fell in love with her, and wished to take her in lawful marriage. And his parents at first tried to prevent it because she was of another race; but when they saw that he was set upon it, they did not oppose him. But when he was going to speak with her, a lion met him, and he killed it

in his hands. And when the marriage had to take place, going away again, he sees a honeycomb in the mouth of the lion that he had killed, and taking it he ate, and gave also to his parents and to his fellow citizens; and he put a riddle to them, saying: Out of the eater came forth food, that is, out of the mouth of the lion, and out of the strong, instead of the bitter, something sweet. And he promised, if they should solve it, to give them thirty linen garments and thirty robes; but if they could not, he would demand as much from them. And when they were at a loss and could not find the answer, they threatened his wife with death, unless she should learn the riddle from him; and she, having learned it, reported it to them, and they spoke and received it. And Samson was angry. But the father of the bride, fearing, took her and gave her to his bridesman; and this grieved him all the more, and taking three hundred foxes and fastening torches behind them, he let them loose into the plains of the foreigners; and when he had set fire to their grain-bearing fields, they burned the house of the bride with her and her father. Not even when this had happened did Samson relax his anger, but he still warred against them. And they, having drawn up in battle against Israel, were seeking Samson; the Israelites bound him and handed him over to the enemies. But he, breaking the bonds and finding the jawbone of a donkey, killed a thousand with it. And being thirsty, he prayed to God, and water came out of the jawbone, and he drank. From there he came to a harlot in Gaza, and the enemies surrounded him; but he, at midnight, taking the gates of the city and placing them on his shoulders, went out.

After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Dalida, and he took her as his wife. But the satraps of the Philistines promised her a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver if she could learn from him how he might be easily overcome. And when she tried to learn, at first he deceived her; but at last, when she had worn him down, he told her the truth, that if anyone took away his locks, he would become weak. And she, having summoned the satraps and put him to sleep, caused him to be shaved, and he became weak. And the Philistines, seizing him, blinded him and cast him into prison. And they rejoiced, and brought him out of the prison to mock him; but he, groaning bitterly and beseeching the Lord to strengthen him, laid hold of the pillars of the house and, shaking them, brought the house down upon the satraps and himself and much other people, and more died than those who had died by him while he was alive. After this those of the tribe of Dan went to war and took Laish, and named it, and set up there graven worship. A Levite, when his concubine was angry with him and had gone away to her father's house, went to speak to her for himself; and taking her he returned; and on the way he lodged in Gibeah of Benjamin with a certain old man. But those in Gibeah, surrounding that house, sought the stranger, in order to abuse him. The old man was ready to give them his daughter, the virgin. But they, taking the concubine, mocked her all night. And when morning came, they let her go and departed.

But she, from the abuse, came to the house where her husband was lodging and breathed her last. And he came out and found her dead, and he divided her into twelve parts and sent them to the twelve tribes. And they bore what had happened with difficulty, and having armed themselves they demanded those who had outraged the woman. But when those men did not give them up, they stirred up war. And at first they were defeated, and a second time, but in the third engagement they cut down the whole tribe of Benjamin, except six hundred who escaped. And when the tribe was in danger of being utterly destroyed (for they had no women, and the sons of Israel had sworn not to give them any of their own), they took those who had not joined them in the campaign against the Benjamites and gave them their virgins, four hundred; and when there were still too few, at the celebration of a festival they allowed them to go out and seize virgins, with their parents not knowing. Synopsis of Ruth. Naomi, when her husband and her sons had died, and the famine had ceased on account of which she had also settled in the land of Moab, comes to Judea, and one of her daughters-in-law was persuaded to remain in the land of Moab; but the other, whose name was Ruth, did not yield to her though she urged her much to remain, but followed her. And she is married to Boaz, who was next of kin to Naomi, and she bears Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. Synopsis of the Four Books of Kings. Elkanah had two wives, and by one of them he had no children. And when he went up to sacrifice in Shiloh, his wife prayed, and she bore Samuel, and she gave him to the house of the Lord continually, just as she had vowed before conceiving him.

Now Eli was priest at that time. And the sons of Eli were Ophni and Phinees, pestilent and wicked young men, who took portions from the sacrifices before they were offered to God. And Eli blessed Anna, and she had three more sons and two daughters, and Samuel advanced toward virtue. And Eli, having heard of the audacities of his sons (for they were even committing adultery), rebuked them with a word; but they did not yield. The destruction of Eli's house and of his sons is prophesied to him because of the sin of the young men. And the inexorable wrath of God is also made known to Samuel, and he too announces it to Eli. The Philistines join battle with Israel, and put them to flight, along with striking them down. And when the sons of Eli also brought out the ark, these indeed fall in the war along with many others, and the enemies take the ark. Someone came announcing these things to Eli; and he, having fallen from his seat, was crushed and died; and his daughter-in-law also died when she heard these things. The Philistines brought the ark into the house of Dagon; and it fell a second time and was crushed. And the men were also struck in their seats. These were the Azotians, and their land brought forth mice. They send the ark to Geth; and they too were struck. They send it to Ascalon, and there too there was death. And having been advised by their diviners, they make golden seats and golden mice, and having placed them on a cart with the ark, they yoked oxen, whose calves they had shut up in a little house. And they went straight on to Bethsames.

Those men receive it, and they sacrifice to God while the satraps of the foreigners look on. But when the sons of Jechonias did not salute it—that is, did not rejoice with it—a great plague came upon the people; and those from Bethsamys, being afraid, send the ark away from them to the house of Aminadab. Then the Israelites turned back to God, and the foreigners made war on them and were defeated, since Samuel prayed on their behalf, and they took from them the cities that belonged to them. But when Samuel had grown old, and his sons did not walk in his way, the Jews gathered together and asked for a king. Samuel was grieved at this, and God says to him: They have not despised you, but me. This, then, I testify to them—the right of the king; that is, Samuel testified to them how great a service he ought to receive from them; but they pressed on asking. The donkeys of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost; his father sent him to seek them. But when he could not find them, on the advice of the servant who was with him, he goes in to Samuel to ask about him. God makes him known to Samuel, saying: Anoint this man as king. Saul came near, asking Samuel where the seer was; for so they called the prophets. And he said that he was the one, and having brought him up to Bama (for there was a sacrifice for the people), and having feasted him, he came down with him toward dawn and poured out for him the flask of oil, and having kissed him he said to him: You shall rule the people; and having given him certain signs he sent him away, and Saul prophesied. His own servant asks Saul where he had gone; and he said:

For the seeking of the donkeys. The people are gathered at Massepha; Saul is appointed by hand. The king of the Ammonites rises against the Galaadites; they send envoys to Saul; he comes and fights alongside them, and captured the enemies by force. They feast at Galgala. And Samuel addresses the people. Then he says: Have I taken anyone's calf, or have I taken anyone's donkey? And after charging them to obey God, he prays, and rain comes on the day of harvest. The people were afraid, and they confessed that they had sinned in asking for a king. And Samuel again exhorts them to follow the commandments of God. Saul cuts down the foreigners. But they, provoked, march out with greater force. The Israelites flee; Saul is left alone. He offers a whole burnt offering to God, not having waited for Samuel, though he had charged him to wait. Samuel comes, is displeased at what has happened, and threatens him with the dissolution of his kingdom; for it was to be transferred to another—he said David. While Saul is sitting on the hill, with six hundred men with him, Jonathan his son, coming secretly with his own servant against the enemies, kills some. But Saul, seeing them opposite, and falling upon the confused, wins by force, and swore that no one should taste anything until evening. Jonathan, not having heard, tasted honey. Saul comes near to ask God whether he should pursue after the enemies. God does not answer him. He understood that a sin had occurred among the people. And when Jonathan was pointed out, he was ready to kill him. But the people rescued him from his hands.

Samuel commands Saul to wage war against Amalek and to devote everything to destruction, sparing nothing. But he disobeyed and kept alive Agag their king, along with flocks and herds. When Samuel came and saw this, he was angry and said: The Lord does not desire burnt offerings and sacrifices so much as hearing his voice; for behold, obedience is better than sacrifice. He also then threatens him with the removal of his kingdom. But Saul tried to force him to go along with him, and he was unwilling. Later, however, being constrained, he went up. And after these things Samuel himself, having ordered Agag to be brought to him, slew him with his own hands. And from that time he did not see Saul until the day of his death, but mourned for him. Then Samuel is sent by God to anoint David, and he came and anointed him. At that time an evil spirit seized Saul, and they bring David to him to sing psalms and to make the evil spirit cease. And when Goliath campaigned and all were astonished, David is sent to visit his brothers. And when he came to the camp, he asks what will be given to the one who kills this foreigner. And they said: The daughter of the king will be given to him as a wife. He went in to Saul and promised to slay him. But he disbelieved. Finally he sent him out stripped of weapons, because he could not bear the weapons. But he, hurling a stone at his forehead, brought him down, and cutting off his head with that man's own sword, returned in glory from the war. And Jonathan, seeing him, was bound to him in soul and loved him exceedingly, and gave him gifts.

But Saul was consumed with envy against him, because the dancing women said, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul lifted up his spear against David to kill him, but he escaped. And as David was held in high esteem by all, Saul was the more stung, and wishing to destroy him, he promised to give him his daughter if he would kill a hundred men of the enemies; and when he had killed them, he became the king's son-in-law. And when another war arose, again he was held in high esteem; but the other grew more savage against him, and disclosed to his son Jonathan that he wished to kill him. And he reported it to David, and he ordered him to hide. And when he had appeased his father, he brought David to him. And when war came upon them again, David distinguished himself, and again he escaped Saul, who wished to strike him with his spear. When his wife advised him, he fled from there. Saul sent to seize him, but she said he was sick. And when Saul learned that he had fled, he brought a charge against his daughter, and having learned where David was,

He sends men to seize him from there. But when those sent did not return, but remained and prophesied, he went himself. David comes to Jonathan and tells him that Saul is raging against him. And he says, "If you wish to learn more clearly tomorrow, at the time of the meal I will be left behind. Then if your father asks the reason, say that since there is a sacrifice in the city, he asked to go away. If then he bears it gently, I suspect nothing terrible; but if he is displeased, the judgment and plot against me is manifest." Jonathan does this; but Saul was so angered that he even attempted to kill his own son. And he, leaping up from the table, went out into the field and threw the arrows; for this was also a sign; and running up behind his servant, while David was hiding somewhere there, he says, "Hurry, go, and do not stop, for there the arrow is beyond you." David understood what these words meant, and when the servant had withdrawn, he falls upon Jonathan and weeps; and he commands him to flee and to remember the covenants. And these were that he should never remove mercy from the house of Jonathan, neither while he lived nor when he died. David comes to Abimelech the priest. Then he ate the bread of the setting forth; and he also took the sword of Goliath, saying that he had been sent somewhere by the king in haste. And he comes from there to Achish, then to Odollam, and entrusts his house to the king of Moab.

But when Saul was displeased with his own servants, because no one sympathized with him nor handed David over, Doeg the Idumaean (for he happened to be there at that time, when David came to the priest) reported to him what had happened. And he, having summoned the priests, and when those standing by were unwilling to slay them, commands Doeg. And he slew three hundred and fifty men who bore the ephod, and he utterly destroyed Nob, their city. One of the priest's sons who escaped reports these things to David. And he, grieved, kept the escaped one with himself, and he saved Keilah when it was being besieged. And having heard that Saul was coming against him, he departed from there into the wilderness of Ziph. And when Saul heard, he comes against him. But when an attack of enemies was reported in the meantime, he withdraws from pursuing him. Then, having returned from the enemies, he again sought him, and he enters into the cave where David was sitting, and with him men further inside. And when all were urging him to slay Saul, he was not persuaded, nor did he permit those who wished it. And when that one went out of the cave, this one also followed, and having cried out to him, he taught Saul both that one's wickedness and his own righteousness. And he wept. Then Samuel died. He sends, asking gifts of Nabal, in return for the guard with which he guarded his flocks. But he not only did not give, but even insulted him through those sent. And having armed himself, he went up so as to destroy him. Abigail, his wife, learned these things, and taking gifts she met David, and having entreated much, she checked him from his impulse.

And when Nabal died, she became his wife. Saul, having heard where David was, comes against him again. But when he had fallen asleep with his whole army, David comes upon him with Abishai; and when the latter urged him to strike the enemy, he did not consent, but taking the pillow that lay at his head and the spear, he went off to a very great distance, and having shouted, he roused his commander and reproached him for negligence, because he was not guarding the king. He shows both the spear and the pillow, and he reproaches Saul, because he pursues one who has done no wrong. Then David flees to Achish; for he did not consider it safe to stay near Saul. David receives Ziklag from Achish; and he attacked the enemies and took much money and many sheep. Then the Philistines gather together against Israel, and Saul questions the medium. David, having turned back from the camp (for the satraps of the Philistines did not allow him to go out with them, suspecting that he would betray the camp), finds the

Ziklag burned, and the women nowhere; for they had been led away captive. And inquiring of God whether he should pursue, and when he said that he should, he pursued. And having learned from an Egyptian boy where they were encamped, he fell upon them as they were at ease, struck them down, and took the spoils, and divided them equally among those who had fought and those who had remained with the baggage. And when the war of the Philistines against Israel took place, Saul fell, and Jonathan, and his two other sons; and the enemies, having taken him, fastened him to the wall of Bethshan, which is Scythopolis. And those from Jabesh came, and took him and Jonathan, and buried them. Second Kingdoms. Someone comes announcing to David that he himself killed Saul; and David killed him; and he lamented Saul and Jonathan, and they anoint him as king. And he sends to Jabesh Gilead, praising them because they buried Saul. And Abner, the general of Saul, made Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, king over Israel. And over Judah David reigned. And when Joab the son of David and Abner the son of Saul met each other, and war was joined from youth, Asahel the brother of Joab pursued Abner; and though he often ordered him to withdraw, he did not endure it. Then Abner kills him, and calling Joab he advises him to stop the war. And there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the one grew weak, and the other grew strong. Abner takes the concubine of Saul; Mephibosheth accused him.

Abner, angered, sends to David, promising to hand over all the people to him. And when he came to him, David feasted him. But when Joab heard whence he had returned from war, he sent for Abner and murdered him treacherously, avenging the blood of his brother. David, learning of it, curses Joab, and laments Abner, and buries him with great honor. Rechab and Baanah, having secretly slain Mephibosheth, came to David, as though they had won favor through the murder. But he put them to death. Then David becomes king of all the people, and comes to Jerusalem against the Jebusite, and the lame hinder him from entering, and he takes the citadel, and built himself a house. And Hiram the king of Tyre also cooperated with him. The Philistines rose up, and David went out and cut them down. But when they attacked again, he is prevented by God from going up to meet them. But, says God, when you hear the sound of the earthquake of weeping, then fight. For then they are delivered to you. David brings up the ark, and Uzzah dies, because he stretched out his hand toward the ark. And as the ark was being brought up, David danced, and Michal despised him. Then David, wishing to build a temple, is prevented by Nathan the prophet, and he prays giving thanks to God, giving thanks for the promises which he heard. David struck the Philistines and Moab and the Syrians, and the golden weapons which he took he brought to Jerusalem, which Susakim king of Egypt later took. And David dedicated many votive offerings.

He deems Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, worthy of the royal table, and gives him all that belonged to Saul. And he commands Ziba, who was his father's servant, to serve Mephibosheth with his children. He also sends to the king of the Ammonites to console him, since his father had died. But he, persuaded by his rulers, dishonors those sent by David for consolation. From this a war arises; and at first he sent Joab, then David himself came, and he routs the enemies. From this come the events concerning Uriah and Bathsheba, and the child who died. After this Solomon is born. Joab wages war against Rabbah, and after capturing the city, he sends for David, wishing the victory to be credited to him. Amnon, the son of David, falls in love with his sister Tamar, and feigning illness, when she came to visit him, he violated her. But Absalom her brother, having heard, afterwards invites the king to a feast; and when he did not come, he asked that at least the brothers come. And when they came, he gave orders to his own servants, and they killed Amnon during the very banquet. And when David heard, he mourned greatly, and was angry with Absalom. But he fled; and after three years, when the king had relaxed his anger, Joab contrives through a woman of Tekoa, and persuades him to bring Absalom back. But when he had returned, his father did not wish to see him at once, but he was two years in Jerusalem away from the king's sight. Then he summons Joab; but he did not obey.

Then he burned his field, and thus compelled, he came to Absalom, and having been sent by him to the king, he reconciled him, and brought Absalom in. And Absalom made for himself chariots and horses, and receiving those who came to be judged with great honor, he praised them as having just claims, but pitied them as though there were no one able to help, and he said: Who will appoint me judge over the land? And in this way he made the people his own. And Absalom rose up against David; and when he heard it, he fled from Jerusalem, leaving his concubines in the city. When Ethi wished to go along with him, at first he prevented him, but when he saw that he was insistent, he allowed it. And when they had crossed the brook, he commanded the priests to turn back the ark to the city. But he himself said that they should wait for him by the olive tree, if they had anything of the king's secrets to report. Hushai meets David. And he sent him to oppose Ahithophel, who was counselor to Absalom. And when he had gone away, Ziba comes, and having accused his master Mephibosheth, saying that he wished to reign, he received everything from David. Then Shimei cursed David; but David prevented Abishai, who wished to kill him. Hushai comes to Absalom, and persuades him, as one favorably disposed toward him, to pay attention to him. And when a council was set forth as to what should be done, Ahithophel advised Absalom to have intercourse with his father's concubines. And he did this on the roof, so that all could see.

And he added another opinion, that he should take a thousand men with him, and attack David, and kill him. But when Hushai also was called to give his advice, he overturned Ahithophel's opinion, advising for the present to postpone, but later to attack David with preparation. And this opinion pleased them more; for it was God's dispensation. Then Hushai sent through the sons of the priests and reported these things to David. But Ahithophel, having failed of his opinion, hanged himself. Many gifts are brought to David. And having arranged the army, he sent them out saying: Spare my boy Absalom. For they had not permitted him to go out. A battle takes place, and when many had fallen, Absalom also is killed, having been bound to a tree by his hair. And when he had been killed, the war ceased. Joab sends Hushai to report the victory to David. But he, having heard it, was mourning for his son, until Joab came in and changed him, and persuaded him to receive the army with a cheerful face. The king was also calling back the fleeing Israel, and Abishai persuaded those already resolved to submit to David. As he was crossing the Jordan, Shimei came, confessing his own sin. But Abishai wished to put him to death, and David prevented it. Mephibaal also came, dry and squalid, clothed in dirty garments, with a long moustache, showing great nails, all things that were signs of the grief that had come upon him because of the war against David. Then he was asking why he had not gone with him.

But he said that he had asked Siba his servant to mount him on a beast of burden (for Mephibaal was lame), but that he did not consent. Then he orders him and Siba to divide the field. And Barzillai, who supplied him with many things while the war was on, whom he wished to take with him. But he declined because of old age. And he takes his son in his place. Then the army is split, and they join Sheba. And David sends out Amasa to fight against him; but Joab kills Amasa by treachery, and besieges the city to which Sheba had fled. But those in the city, on the advice of a woman, cut off Sheba's head and threw it from the wall to Joab, and so they were delivered from the war. Famine seizes the land; and the remedy for the famine was that certain of Saul's men be handed over to the Gibeonites. And David preserves Mephibaal because of the oath sworn to Jonathan. And he hands over the sons and descendants of Saul, and buries Saul and Jonathan in the tomb of Kish. Wars occur here. And they prevent David from going out, lest he be endangered. Then he speaks the seventeenth psalm. He recounts the exploits and brave deeds of David's commanders. Joab is ordered to number the people, and he numbers them; and Israel was nine hundred thousand, and Judah four hundred thousand, all warriors. Then Gad the prophet comes, giving him a choice of three punishments, whichever he wished to undergo: either three years of famine, or three days of fleeing with enemies pressing upon them, or three days of death.

But he chose the three days of death, and seventy thousand died from morning until noon. Then David says: "Behold, I have sinned, and I, the shepherd, have done evil, and these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand be against me, and against my father's house." The punishment ceased. And David is commanded to sacrifice [set up] an altar in the threshing floor of Ornia, and to sacrifice; and he did so. Ornia the son of David feasts those around Joab and Abiathar, as one about to reign. Bathsheba enters by the counsel of Nathan the prophet, and reports to David; but while she was speaking, Nathan also came in, having arranged matters so that Solomon should reign. They went out, having mounted Solomon on the royal mule. Then the prophet Nathan and the priest Zadok went away to Gion, and anointed him and said: "Let the king live." The son of Jonathan came and reported these things to Ornia, who was feasting. And the others fled, but Ornia fled to the altar, fearing Solomon. Then he brings him out from there, and he came and did obeisance to the king. As David is about to die, he exhorts Solomon to keep the law of God; for thus he would obtain the promises promised to him. And he gives orders concerning Joab and Shimei, that they be punished, and concerning the sons of Berzillai, that they obtain honor and enjoy the royal table. And he dies, having reigned forty years. Third Kingdoms. Solomon puts Ornia to death, because he asked for Abishag, and he cast out Abiathar from the priesthood. And the threat against Eli was fulfilled:

For from him he traced his lineage. He also removed Joab; and he installed Zadok the priest as priest in place of Abiathar. Solomon gives a command to Shimei, that he remain in the city continually; but if he should ever go out, he would not do this without punishment, but would undergo the penalty of death. His servants perished; and he, having forgotten the command, went out to seek them, and Solomon, learning of it, removed him. A narrative concerning the wisdom of Solomon, concerning the peace in his time, concerning the lavishness of his banquet, and concerning chariots, concerning horses, concerning all his wealth. Solomon asks for wisdom from God. Then he judges the women who came to him over the child. Again a discourse concerning the wisdom of Solomon, concerning the lavishness of his table, and who performed this service for him. He sends to Hiram the king of Tyre, asking for woodcutters for wages; which he indeed provided. Here is set down the number of the workers, and the multitude of the material prepared for the temple. Then the building of the temple. Solomon prays in the temple, and sacrifices, and consecrates the house. God promises good things to him, if he keeps his commands, and threatens the opposite, if he transgresses. And he was

A ship bringing him gold. The events concerning the queen of the South, who came to hear his wisdom. The events concerning his great wealth, the events concerning the golden weapons which he made, the events concerning his kingdom, from where and how far it extended. From here, concerning his idolatry, and the offense by which he offended God. From here, a threat against him, and the dissolution of the kingdom, the disappearance of peace. For Adar the Idumaean rose up against him, and Esdrom. His servant Jeroboam also rose up against him. The prophet Ahijah comes to Jeroboam, and gives him a torn garment, ten strips, foretelling to him that he will hold the ten scepters. But when Solomon wished to kill him, he fled to Egypt. Jeroboam returned from Egypt after Solomon died. And the people, approaching Rehoboam the son of Solomon, asked that the rule over them be made lighter than that of Solomon. But he, persuaded by his companions, certain young men, threatened that he would make it even heavier for them. From this the ten tribes separated, and they made Jeroboam king over themselves. And when Rehoboam wished to march against him, God prevented him. And when Jeroboam's child fell ill, he sends his wife to Ahijah the prophet to inquire about the illness. And he said that he would die, and he died. Jeroboam sets up golden calves, one in Bethel, and one in Dan, so that the people might not go up to Jerusalem. And while he was sacrificing there, behold, a man of God came and prophesied the events concerning Josiah. And the king's hand was dried up, and the altar was split.

When the prophet of God had prayed, the king was healed. And he urged the prophet to dine with him. But he did not consent, keeping the command of God, which he later transgressed and was killed by the lion. And Jeroboam still persisted in his wickedness, and Rehoboam practiced idolatry all the years of his reign. Shishak came and took the treasures. After him his son Abijah reigned, and after him Abijah's son Asa. And after Jeroboam his son Nadab reigned; Baasha killed him and reigned, and he made war against Asa. And he, using the alliance of the Syrian Ben-Hadad, became more powerful. And since Baasha was wicked, God threatened him with great evils. And when he died, his son Elah reigned, whom Zimri, one of the commanders, killed and reigned, and he destroyed the house of Baasha. And when Zimri also died by setting himself on fire, Omri reigned. And when he too died, his son Ahab reigned. Asa's son Jehoshaphat reigned. Elijah the prophet threatens Ahab with the drought that came for three years and six months. Then the prophet is fed by the ravens. Here are the events concerning the widow in Zarephath, the events concerning the cruse of oil and the jar of flour, and the death of the child, and the raising from death. Elijah is sent to Ahab, and he makes the sacrifice, and brings down fire from heaven, and consumes it. Then he took the priests of Baal and slaughtered them. Then he announces the rain to Ahab. And going up to Carmel Elijah prayed, and he makes the sacrifice; behold, rain.

Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, threatens Elijah with death, but he goes into the wilderness, and having slept and been awakened by an angel of God, he found a barley cake baked in ashes, and having eaten it, he was strengthened. By that food he traveled forty days to Horeb. Then he says: Lord, they have torn down your altars. Elisha, leaving his yoke of oxen, follows Elijah. From here comes the narrative concerning the vineyard of Naboth; and the threat against Jezebel and Ahab, and the contrition of Ahab. Ader the Syrian came against Israel with thirty-two kings; but he subdued them. And when he campaigned a second time, he fell into a great calamity. And when he saw himself in danger, he put on a pitiable appearance, comes to Ahab, calling himself his servant, and gladly desiring to obtain safety. But he took him up onto his chariot, and having deemed him worthy of honor, sent him away to his own land. The prophet comes accusing the king on account of these things, and threatening death. Ahab takes counsel whether he ought to campaign against the Syrians; and when Josaphat king of Judah advised it, the prophet Micaiah is summoned, and when questioned, he foretells disasters, if he should go to war. Ahab is angered; Zedekiah the false prophet strikes Micaiah. Ahab is commanded to keep Micaiah the false prophet under guard, until the war should come to an end. He went out to do battle, and says to Josaphat: Let us exchange our appearance and our clothing; I will take yours, and give you mine.

When this had happened, and the soldiers had received a command from their own king to leave all others and join battle against the king of Israel alone, they saw Josaphat the king of Judah and, thinking he was the king of Israel (for his appearance deceived them), they surrounded him, wanting to kill him. But he cried out and was delivered from the danger. And another archer shot Achaab, and his blood flowed down. This they washed in the spring, and the harlots bathed in his blood, and the dogs licked it. After Achaab, Ochozias his son reigned. And when Josaphat became his friend, he paid the penalty, namely that his works were cut off. Fourth Kingdoms. Ochozias, having fallen ill, sent to inquire at Baal whether he would recover, and Elias the prophet, meeting those who had been sent, commanded them to go and say that he would not recover. And Ochozias, learning that it was Elias, sent the first and second captains of fifty; and when each was consumed by fire with his fifty, Elias was commanded to go down with the third, and coming to the king he said that he would die. After him his brother Joram reigned, for he had no son. From here is the taking up of Elias into heaven. The sons of the prophets, seeing Elissaios walking through the Jordan on dry ground, said, The spirit of Elias has rested upon him, and they ask that he send to search for Elias; but he prevented them; later, however, he permitted it; and they went and did not find him. He heals the waters in Jericho.

Going up to Bethel, the children who mocked him he curses, and he is killed by the bears. The king of Moab revolted from paying the customary tribute. Joram the king of Israel marched against him, taking along both Josaphat the king of Judah and the king of Edom. But when they found no water in the wilderness and were in danger of perishing, on the advice of Ochozias they came to Elissaios. He was angry with the king of Israel and said he would not even see him, were it not for the king of Judah. And he foretold that not only an abundance of water would come to them, but also the conquest of the land of Moab, as indeed came to pass; and the king of the Moabites came into such calamity that he slaughtered his own son from the top of the wall. Here too is the woman whose oil was multiplied, and the Shunammite woman, to whom he granted her son by prayer, and raised him up when he had died. When a famine occurred, he removed the bitterness that was in the pot, and in the name of God he fed a hundred men from twenty barley loaves. Naaman, the commander of the king of the Syrians, was struck with leprosy; and coming to the king of Israel he sought a cure; but he was at a loss and tore his garments. Elissaios sends for him and commands him to be dipped in the Jordan a seventh time. At first he hesitated and disbelieved that he would be healed; but later, urged by his servants, he is dipped and is healed, and he offered gifts to Elissaios. But he would not accept them. And when the man had departed, Gezi, the servant of Elissaios, pursuing after him as though sent by Elissaios, receives from Naaman two talents of silver and two robes.

Coming to Elisha, he tried to hide it. But Elisha exposed him, and he received leprosy as his punishment. The sons of the prophets come to cut wood for building. And when the iron fell from one man's handle, Elisha threw a piece of wood he had broken off, and the iron floated on the water. The king of Syria was making war on Israel, while Elisha foretold it to him. The enemy, learning of this, sends an army against Elisha. And when the prophet prayed, those who came were struck with blindness, and he led them into the midst of their enemies; and when the king wished to kill them, Elisha prevented him, and after they had feasted he ordered them to be sent away. When a severe famine had set in, so that a donkey's head was fifty shekels, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung was five shekels, a woman comes to the king accusing another woman, that having eaten her son with her, and having promised to provide her own, she acted shamefully regarding the return. Then the king tore his garments and sends to Elisha to take off his head. The prophet says to the one who came against him that tomorrow there will be a release from the famine. And when he disbelieved, he foretells his death. Four lepers, worn out by the famine, resolve to surrender themselves to the enemies, and coming to the camp, they found the place empty of men, but their tents full of much wealth. And having plundered as much as they could carry, they came and reported to the king. And at first the king suspected that the matter was a trick.

And he sent horsemen and, learning the truth, he gave the people over to plunder the camp; and the famine was ended. And the one who had disbelieved Elisha was trampled by the crowd and died. Elisha foretells to the woman whose son he had restored to life a seven-year famine, and advises her to move away from that land. And when she had moved away and the famine had ceased, she returned again, and coming to the king she asked for possession of her property. The king of Syria sends to Elisha to ask whether he will escape the disease in which he was held. But he said to the one who came that he would not escape, and he also prophesied to him the destruction of the Israelites. And when that man died, Hazael reigned in his place. And when Joram also, the king of Judah, died, his son Ahaziah succeeded him. Elisha sent one of the sons of the prophets and ordered him to anoint Jehu, and when Jehu had become king he killed Joram and threw him into the vineyard of Naboth, which Joram's father had seized. And when he had also killed Ahaziah, he entered the city of Israel. And Jezebel, adorned, was looking out from above. And the king said to the eunuchs to throw her down, and when she was thrown down she died. And Jehu also killed the seventy sons of Ahab, and he took the brothers of Ahaziah, and he also killed the priests of Baal, and he shattered Baal. Then Hazael kept cutting down Jezreel. And when Jehu died, his son Jehoahaz reigned. The events concerning Joash the king of Judah, and Jehoiada the priest, and Athaliah. Israel was delivered to its enemies, and again God had compassion on them.

And when Jehoahaz died, Joash his son became king of Israel, and coming to Elisha he wept. And he commanded him, taking five arrows, to shoot at the ground. And when he had shot three and stopped, he said to him, "You shall strike Syria three times; for if you had shot the five, you would have struck it to its complete destruction." Elisha, having died, is buried, and a certain dead man, thrown into his tomb, rose again. And when Hazael died, the son of Hadad became king in his place. Joash struck the Syrians three times, and he died, and Jeroboam his son became king. And when Joash king of Judah also died, Amaziah his son became king; and having struck Edom, he also engaged in battle with Joash king of Israel. And he defeated him, and he entered into Jerusalem. When Jeroboam died, Zechariah his son became king of Israel. And when Amaziah king of Judah died, Azariah, who is also Uzziah, became king. In his days Hosea began to prophesy. And Shallum, having killed Zechariah, became king of Israel. He made use of the alliance of Pul king of the Assyrians, giving him a thousand talents.

When he died, Menahem became king in his place. After Uzziah, his son Jotham became king of Judah; and when he died, Ahaz the son of Jotham became king. In his time Rezin the Syrian came up, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Ahaz sent to Tiglath-pileser the Assyrian, calling him for an alliance. And he came and took Damascus, and put Rezin to death. Shalmaneser the Assyrian also came up against Hoshea the son of Elah, and he became his servant. But when the Assyrian learned that he wished to revolt—for he had also sent an embassy to the Ethiopian—he besieged him, and bound him, and taking Samaria and other cities, he deported them to the Assyrians. Here is the accusation of Israel and of Judah. Those brought from Babylon and settled in Samaria, since they did not fear God, were being destroyed by the lions. Then a priest was sent from there, and he enlightened them in the law of God, and they feared the Lord, and they served the idols. The events concerning Hezekiah and the Assyrian, which are also recorded in Isaiah. The events concerning Manasseh and his impiety, and his murders. And when he too died, his son Amon became king. And when Amon died, Josiah his son became king; concerning whom it was prophesied to Jeroboam the servant of Solomon, when also the hand of the king was dried up. This man purified Jerusalem and every place, digging up the places of the priests of the idols, and crushing the idols. Concerning him it has been said that no king like him had arisen before, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul.

In his time Jeremiah began to prophesy; in his time was Huldah the prophetess. And when Pharaoh Necho killed him, his son Jehoahaz became king in his place. But Pharaoh, having deposed this one also and led him away to Egypt, where he also died, appointed Eliakim, the son of Josiah, who was also called Jehoiakim, and he imposed tribute on the land. He, having become the first [vassal] of Nebuchadnezzar, was cast outside the walls. Concerning him Jeremiah says: His carcass shall be cast out to the heat of the day and to the frost of the night; and then, He shall be buried with the burial of an ass. For after he was dissolved, then he was buried. And when Eliakim, who was also called Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, died, his son Jehoiakim became king, the offspring of Josiah; and this Jehoiakim was also called Jeconiah; no longer did the king of Egypt go out from his land thereafter. And when Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged the city, since Jehoiakim, who was also called Jeconiah, went out to him with his mother, he deported him to Babylon, and appointed his father's brother, the son of Josiah, king in Jerusalem. This was Mattaniah, who was also called Zedekiah. And when he acted treacherously against the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem; and having taken it and burned it, he blinded Zedekiah, bound him, and led him away to Babylon; and he appointed Gedaliah over those left behind in Jerusalem. And when Ishmael killed him, those who remained rose up and entered into Egypt. After these things, the king of Babylon, Evil-merodach, deemed Jehoiakim worthy of great honor in Babylon.

The kingdom of Samaria, then, as has already been said, came to an end with Hoshea son of Jola (read: Elah), who slew Pekah son of Remaliah. And the kingdom of Jerusalem came to an end with Zedekiah. For he too was led away to Babylon, and when his eyes had been taken from him, he was cast into a pit for twenty-six years... Him the king of Babylon afterwards exalted and gave him a throne above the kingdoms there, and he ate and drank with him until the day of his life. And with this one the book ends, when the people had been taken captive and the whole city had been captured. And the names of the kings of Judah and of Israel, and what was the end of each one's deed, and how many years each of them reigned, to set forth in summary from the four books that lie before us, is as follows. After Saul had perished, who reigned forty years, David reigned over all Israel and Judah forty years, thus: in Hebron seven years, and over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. And he did what was right with a perfect heart. In his time were the prophets Nathan and Gad. Solomon the son of David reigned over all the people forty years, he also; and he did what was evil. And in his time were the prophets Nathan and Gad. Rehoboam his son reigned seventeen years, and he did what was evil. In his time the kingdom was divided, and there remained with him in Jerusalem two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. And in Samaria ten tribes. In his time were the prophets Ahijah the Shilonite, and Addō. Abijah his son reigned three years. And his heart was not as David's, but he walked in the sin of his father.

And in his time was the prophet Addo. Asa his son reigned forty-one years, and he did what was right; but the high places still remained. In his time were Azariah son of Oded, and Anani, the prophets. Jehoshaphat his son reigned twenty-five years, and he did what was right; but the high places still existed. And after these things he incurred blame for lawlessness, because he made friendship with Ahaziah king of Israel, and shared with him in much business. In his time were the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Micah, and Jehu son of Anani, and Oziel son of Zechariah, and Eliadad son of Adia from Mareshah. Joram his son reigned eight years, and he did what was evil. For he had as wife the daughter of Ahab. And in his time were Elijah and Elisha. Ahaziah his son reigned one year, and he did what was evil. After him Athaliah his mother reigned seven years. Joash son of Ahaziah reigned forty years. This man slew Zechariah, and he did what was right with his whole soul, as long as Jehoiada the prudent lived, and he enlightened him. His servants killed him in the house of Maelloth. In his time Zechariah son of Jehoiada prophesied. Amaziah his son reigned nineteen years, and he did what was right in the beginning, but not as David. For still the people sacrificed on the high places, and he did not remove the groves. And in his time prophets prophesied, but their names were not written. After these things, however, Amaziah, having struck down those in Seir, was lifted up, and he served the idols of Seir, and he was struck down, being delivered to his enemies. Azariah, who is also Uzziah, reigned fifty-two years, and he did what was right according to the beginning, as his father did; except he did not remove the high places.

But being prosperous, he was lifted up, and he wished to burn incense for himself in the temple, which is permitted only to the priests. Therefore he was also struck with leprosy when he heard: It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, which is permitted only to the priests. In his time was the prophet Isaiah. Jotham his son reigned sixteen years, and he did what was right as his father did; except that he did not remove the high places. And in his time was Isaiah. Ahaz his son reigned sixteen years, and he did evil. And in his time were the prophets Isaiah and Oded. Hezekiah his son reigned twenty-nine years, and he did what was right as David did perfectly. He took down the bronze serpent, which Moses had hung up. In his time Sennacherib and Rabshakeh the Assyrians, blaspheming, were themselves struck down, and after these things in one night an angel went out and killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when Hezekiah was about to die, he received an addition of fifteen years. Manasseh his son reigned fifty-five years, and he did evil. And whatever Hezekiah had torn down, this man raised up again, and he became another Jeroboam to Judah, so that because of him Jerusalem suffered as Samaria did. For indeed it was said in his time, He who caused Judah to sin. Therefore he was also led away captive to Babylon. But in the captivity, as it is written in Chronicles, when he had repented, God brought him back to Jerusalem, and he again took hold of the kingdom. And repenting and teaching the people to serve God, he died. But he was not buried in the city of David, but in his own garden, the garden of Uzza. Amon his son reigned two years, and he did evil, as his father Manasseh did, and his servants killed him, and he was buried in the garden of Uzza, where also his father was.

Josiah his son, twenty-nine years. The people raised this man up as king when he was eight years old, and he did what was right in all the way of David, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For he also cut down the groves and destroyed all the idols. But when he had become sixteen years old, he sought the law and found it neglected, and he had it read aloud, and he kept the Passover, and he proclaimed it, as it is written. But Pharaoh Necho killed him at the Euphrates when he contended against him. In his time Jeremiah and Zephaniah were the prophets, and Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum. Jehoahaz his son, three months, and he did evil, and Pharaoh Necho removed him; and in his time was Jeremiah. Eliakim, another son of Josiah, who was renamed Jehoiakim, eleven years, and he did evil. Jehoiakim, also called Jeconiah, his son, three months, and he did evil and was led away to Babylon. Mattan his son. Nebuchadnezzar made this man king and renamed him Zedekiah. And he reigned twelve years, and he did evil. And in his time was Jeremiah. Up to this point was the kingdom of Judah, and it was dissolved, just as also that of Samaria. For the city was also captured, and all were led away captive to Babylon with the vessels. And there are twenty kings, apart from Athaliah. The names of the kings who arose in Samaria, and what the end of each one's deed was, and how many years each reigned, are as follows. Jeroboam the son of Nabath, twenty-four years. This man, when the kingdom was divided, having come up from Egypt, was the first to reign in Samaria, and he did evil as no other.

For fearing that he might be captured, he made two golden calves and deceived the people, saying: These are the gods who brought us up out of the land of Egypt. He also fashioned festivals and priests; and this man caused Israel to sin. For all who came after him followed him. In his time was the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite, and the one who called upon the altar against him. Nadab his son, two years, and he did evil, and no one from his lineage reigned any longer. Zimri of another lineage, twelve years. Baasha, twenty-four years, and he did evil. In his time were the prophets Elijah, and Elisha, and Micaiah, and the one who prophesied to Ahab concerning Syria and the son of Adad, and the one who struck him with a wound, and who rebuked Ahab, and many sons of the prophets by themselves. Ahaziah his son, two years, and he did evil. And in his time were Elijah and Elisha; for Elijah struck his captains of fifty with fire by the word of the Lord. Joram son of Ahab, twelve years, and he did evil, and no one of his lineage reigned any longer. And Elijah was taken up in his time; but Elisha remained until Jeroboam, son of Joash king of Israel. And in his time there were also the sons of the prophets. Jehu of another lineage, son of Nimshi, twenty-two years. This man destroyed the lineage of Ahab and the prophets of Baal by treachery, and shattered his pillar. And having done what was right in these things, he received a promise, that sons of the fourth generation shall sit on your throne. Jehoahaz his son, seventeen years, and he did evil, and he warred against Jerusalem, and took the gold and the vessels.

Jeroboam his son reigned forty-one years, and he did evil. Zechariah his son reigned six months, and he did evil. Up to this point there had been four sons of the house of Jehu. Shallum, of another family, the son of Jabesh, reigned thirty days, and he did evil. Menahem, of another family, the son of Gaddi, reigned twenty years, and he did evil. In his days Isaiah and Hosea were prophesying. Pekah, of another family, the son of Remaliah, reigned twenty years. This man slew Pekahiah, and he did evil. In his days were Isaiah and Hosea the prophets. Hoshea, of another family, the son of Elah, reigned nine years. This man slew Pekah, and he did evil, but not as those before him. Hoshea was the last king of Samaria. For in his days Samaria ceased and was destroyed, and thereafter the Assyrians settled in it. From these arose the heretical Samaritans, called Sadducees. In these, then, the whole purpose of the books of the Kingdoms comes to an end. The book of Paraleipomena, first. It is called Paraleipomena because many things that were passed over in the Kingdoms are contained in these books. In this first book there is the genealogy of all the tribes from Adam to the kings, according to tribes and according to peoples and according to families and according to households. And which of the Levites David appointed to sing to God with flutes and lyres, and which he appointed to the works of the temple. For he himself began first to build the temple. And certain other things concerning the kings and the generations it recounts in detail. To which these things also must be joined, that altogether the years of those who reigned in Jerusalem from David are four hundred and seventy-four.

All the kings were from one family, that of David, and those who did what was right are nine; but those who did evil are twelve, apart from Athaliah. Of those who reigned in Samaria, the total is altogether two hundred sixty-nine years and thirty days; the kings were twelve, from eight different families; and all of them did evil, according to the sin of Jeroboam. The book of Paraleipomena, second book. In the second book of Paraleipomena are recorded the deeds of the kings. Those who wrote these down were the prophets who lived at the various times. In order to know in part who the authors were, it should be noted that here are set down the deeds of all the kings of Israel and Judah—that is, those omitted from the history of the kings. Those who recorded all their deeds are these: Samuel, Nathan, and Gad the prophets wrote the things concerning David; Nathan and Ahijah the prophets, the things concerning Solomon; Shemaiah and Addo the prophets, the things concerning Jeroboam; Addo the prophet, the things concerning Abijah. The things concerning Asa are in the book of the words concerning the kings of Judah; the things concerning Jehoshaphat, Jehu the prophet, son of Hanani, who wrote down a book of the words of the kings of Israel. The things concerning Joash are in the record of the kings. The things concerning Amaziah are in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. The things concerning Uzziah, Isaiah the prophet. The things concerning Jotham are in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. The things concerning Ahaz are in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. The things concerning Hezekiah, Isaiah the prophet, son of Amos. The things concerning Manasseh are in the words of the seers. The things concerning Josiah are in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

The matters concerning Joachim, in the book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. These things can be found arranged in this way in the Paraleipomena of the Kings. The first book of Esdras. The book is called Esdras because he himself, Esdras, being a priest and a reader, expounds and writes down the return of the sons of Israel from Persia to Jerusalem that took place. The return happened first by the command, and then by the order of Cyrus and Darius the kings, under the hand of Jesus the son of Josedek, and of Esdras and Zerubbabel, who contended with riddles, a promise having been set: that the victor should ask whatever he wished from the king. So when one said that wine prevails, and the other said that the king prevails, Zerubbabel said that women prevail, but above all things the truth. And since by saying these things he had won, and heard that he should ask whatever he wished, he requested that the captivity itself be released and that Jerusalem be rebuilt. And it happened as he requested, and the captivity was released. For then the seventy years of wrath were also fulfilled. Those who went up from the captivity from Judah and Benjamin, and the Levites, were in number four myriads and two thousand, horses three hundred and thirty, mules two hundred and forty-five, camels four thousand four hundred and thirty-five, their male and female servants seven thousand three hundred and thirty-four, the singers two hundred, donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty. And those who built were Zerubbabel, and Jesus the son of Josedek, and Nehemiah. And Esdras, gifted in the law, himself brought forward the law, and read it, and set in order all the matters concerning the temple and the Levites.

He himself showed the law, and he caused those who had taken foreign women in the time of the captivity to put them away. And all put them away and were purified, and he celebrated the Passover according to the law, as it is written, and the fast, and thus the first book of Esdras is completed. The second book of Esdras. In this book Esdras says the same things as in the first concerning the return, apart from what was set forth before. And he explains most things concerning Neemias the eunuch: that he himself made petition concerning the building of the temple; and that Esdras was reading, while Jesus and Baneas and Sarabias were instructing the people. And Esdras, as he read, distinguished with knowledge of the Lord; and the people understood in the reading, and he celebrated the Passover, and in the seventh month he kept the fast and the tabernacle-festival, as it is written: "For," he says, "they had not done so since the days of Jesus the son of Nave." And Esdras, having seen that Azotian women had been mingled with the Hebrews, persuaded all to promise to keep the law of God. And he put away the women, as an unlawful marriage, and they swore to keep the law. And thus, having been sanctified and purified, they rejoiced, and each departed to his own house. And this too is recorded concerning Esdras: that when the books were being lost through the neglect of the people because of the long captivity, Esdras himself, being a lover of good and naturally gifted, and a reader, preserved them all, and thereafter brought them forth and again delivered them; and thus the books are preserved. The book of Esther.

The book is called Esther, because through Esther God saved the Jews when they were all about to perish, and struck down Haman who wished to plot against them. For King Artaxerxes, having cast out his own wife, sought in his kingdom the most beautiful and comely of all women to take as his wife; and Esther was found, being a Jew by race. And Mordecai also was her kinsman, from the captivity that took place under Zedekiah in that very land. So the king, having made great the one called Haman, commanded all to bow down to him. But since Mordecai, in his worship of God, did not bow down to the man, Haman was angered, and learning that he was a Jew, he persuaded King Artaxerxes and wrote that all the Jews in his kingdom should be utterly destroyed in one day, in the twelfth month. Therefore Mordecai, learning of this, mourned, and while fasting, sent to Esther, asking that help come from her. So Esther, having fasted and prayed to God, adorned herself with women's adornment, and though not summoned (for it was not permitted to enter without being summoned), nevertheless entered before the king out of season, trusting in prayer instead of in season. Then, as the king marveled at the strange thing, she fell from fear. But God changed the king's wrath into affection and gentleness; and he rose and supported the woman, and urged her not to fear, but even asked her to make request, if she wished anything. And she asked that the king himself and Haman come to dinner, not once, but also a second time.

So Haman, elated and rejoicing because he had been deemed worthy to be summoned by the queen, was all the more incited against Mordecai, and he had a great stake cut, intending to hang Mordecai on it the next day. But the king, by some good providence, having stayed awake that night and being unable to sleep, ordered the records of his deeds to be read to him. And as they were being read, he found a good deed that had been done to him by Mordecai. For two eunuchs who were about to plot against the king he had brought to the king's attention and had convicted. The king, therefore, having approved Mordecai's goodwill, sought to bestow on such a man a worthy honor. And when Haman came in to him in the morning, the king inquired of him what sort and how great a honor is worthy of the man who has benefited the king. But Haman, thinking that the king was inquiring about himself, said that such a man was worthy to be called second king. The king therefore orders that Mordecai be deemed worthy of such honor, and that Haman walk before him. But Esther, having found a pretext, made petition concerning the Jews. Then of the

When the king was grieved at the unlawful decree against the Jews and was angry with Haman, Haman himself, in the king's absence, was entreating Esther, bowing down and worshipping at her knees. But the king, having also seen Haman touching the feet of the queen and suspecting that he was doing this shamefully, ordered that Haman himself be hanged on the wood which he had prepared for Mordecai; and he wrote that all the Jews should have relief, and that their enemies should be destroyed by them. And those who were destroyed were fifteen thousand. And a festival took place on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar. And this day is called in their own language Phoura. For this reason, on this day the Jews burn Haman and celebrate, since it is a memorial of their salvation. And in these things the book has its end. The book of Tobit. The book is called Tobit because it contains the story about Tobit himself. And Tobit is from the tribe of Naphtali, and he lived in the captivity, and he was in Nineveh merciful and God-fearing. For indeed, having been in the captivity, he did not eat common bread from the nations, but kept himself. And he was also a purchaser of King Enemasar, and he deposited in Media with Gabael ten talents. This Tobit, then, had zeal to bury the Jews who died. But having been slandered to the king, he fled.

And having returned, and buried one of the dead, he slept outside the wall, and as he was accustomed to sleep, he had his eyes open. But when sparrows had defecated from above into his eyes, he got white films, and could no longer see. And there was also in Ecbatana a daughter of Raguel his kinsman, named Sarra. The demon Asmodaeus did not permit her to be married; at any rate, he killed seven men who had taken her in succession [and she was greatly grieved; for he killed seven who had taken her in succession]. And the girl, being greatly grieved, prayed; and God sent to her as a helper the archangel Raphael. Tobit, therefore, having charged his son Tobias not to take a wife from elsewhere, except from his own tribe and family, gives him the handwritten bond for the ten talents, and commands him to go and demand it. But the boy, not knowing the road or the man, goes out to seek a fellow traveler. By God's providence he finds Raphael, standing outside like a man, and hires him, since he said he knew the road. [And the angel accompanies him, saying like a man that he knew the road.] And the archangel Raphael accompanies him, called Azarias as a man. And when they came to the river Tigris, the boy wished to go down into it and wash, and immediately a great fish leaped up at the boy. But the angel told him to seize the fish and cut it open and take its liver and heart and gall, and to keep these. Then, when the boy asked what use these were, he said: The liver and the heart, when burned as incense, will drive away the demon.

But the gall will cleanse the white films. So the child, by the counsel and cooperation of the angel, takes Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, as his wife, the demon having been driven out by this incense and bound by the angel in the upper parts of Egypt. And Tobias, having remained with his wife, sends Azarias, as though he were a man, into Media, and he, having demanded the ten talents there, returned with the wife and the angel himself to the father. And the child, having returned, smears the eyes of his father with the gall of the fish, and the scales fall off, and immediately he saw again. When Tobit was blinded, he was fifty-eight years old, but when he saw again, he was sixty years old. And thereafter, when he had seen, the angel revealed himself, that he was not a man, but had been sent from God for the help of them and of Sarah. And Tobit, having grown old, charged his son Tobias to depart into Media because of the coming destruction of Nineveh according to the word of Jonah the

of the prophet, and he departed and died at the age of 155 years. But his son Tobias, having gone away to Media and buried his parents-in-law, and having heard about the destruction of Nineveh, also died himself at the age of 197 years. And in these things this book also has its end. The Book of Judith. The book is called Judith because, when the sons of Israel were being warred against and besieged by Holofernes, God through Judith saved the peoples and struck down Holofernes. And this is the story: Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Assyrians, having war against Arphaxad, king of the Medes, asked for alliance from all the nations as far as Egypt. But when they did not give it, but all spoke against him, after he had conquered and prevailed over Arphaxad, he set war against those who had not given it. And he sent Holofernes with a great force against them. So then he took all the other nations and shattered their idols. But the sons of Israel secured themselves and did not submit to Holofernes, nor did they fear his threat. Therefore the priest Joakim wrote to those in Bethulia to block the road of Holofernes, since his road was through there, and they blocked it. And Holofernes was drawing up for war. But Achior, the leader of the sons of Ammon, advised Holofernes not to make war on the nation of the Hebrews because God shields them. And Holofernes, angered, sent him back to Bethulia, threatening to kill him if he should prevail over the Hebrews. So then Achior was resting in Bethulia. But Holofernes was besieging the city, having first seized the waters.

Now when the people had grown faint from thirst, and the rulers were about to surrender the city, Judith cast off the garments of her widowhood (for she was mourning her husband and had been fasting continually), adorned herself like a bride, and after much entreaty that they should not surrender the city for five days, she went out herself to Holofernes, and having deceived him by her wisdom, on the third day she beheaded him, while his soldiers knew nothing of it; and thus thereafter the citizens, having hung the head of Holofernes from the wall, showed it to his generals. From there the Assyrians fled, and the sons of Israel, running together from every side, cut down the Assyrians. And having been saved and having despoiled the enemies, they gave to Judith all the things of Holofernes. But Judith herself, having gone away to Jerusalem, dedicated all things to the Lord, and having returned to her own house, she kept the same discipline, and remained a widow until death, no one being able to persuade her to enter into marriage. And she died, having lived well in her widowhood for 105 years. And in these things the book has its end. The book of Job. The book is called Job, since it contains the history concerning him, both how he suffered when tempted by the devil, and how he conquered him by enduring piously the blows brought upon him; and he received back all things double, and became more glorious than he was. And he suffered being 70 years old, and he lived on after the blows 170 years, so that all the years of his life were 240. And Job was before Moses; for he was a fifth from Abraham, a descendant of Esau.

But because of the blow that had come upon him, friends came to him to comfort him, and they conducted themselves toward him with such contentiousness and mercilessness in their words that the matter was reckoned to them even as sin. And Job prayed to God on their behalf, and they were forgiven. There are, then, for Job nine dialogues with his friends: three of Eliphaz with him, two of Zophar with him, and three of Bildad. And further also of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite. And thereafter the Lord speaks to Job through a whirlwind and a cloud. And Job also answers the Lord in two speeches. And this is the end of the book. Its whole purpose is to summon to endurance those who fall into temptations, even if they have been greatly attested in piety, and not to be scandalized, but to cry out: The Lord gave, the Lord took away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it came to pass; may the name of the Lord be blessed from now and forever; and also: Naked I came out from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart there; and from this to learn henceforth how great is the benefit of endurance; for from this they will receive their reward both here and there, as Job did. And further, God shows himself untempted by evils, and he tempts no one; but when God permits, temptations come upon men from demons, for the testing and perfection of each. They say that Solomon composed this book as well, unless perhaps it is a writing of Moses. The content of the book is of this kind. And the summary is in these things. In the prefaces, how Job was dwelling in the land of Ausitis;

Then comes the testimony of Scripture concerning his good conduct; and that he had seven sons and three daughters; and concerning the number of his livestock. And that his sons, going to one another, held a feast each day together with their three sisters. And Job would send and purify his sons, offering sacrifice on their behalf to the Lord. The first testimony of the Lord concerning Job to the devil; the first envy-speaking of the devil concerning Job to the Lord. The Lord gave authority to the devil over all that Job had, except him alone. First the devil brings Job the evil tidings of the capture of the horses and the donkeys, and the slaughter of the servants. Concerning the second messenger, who said to Job: Your sheep have been burned up, and those who shepherd them. Concerning the third messenger, who said to Job concerning the capture of the camels and the slaughter of the servants. A fourth messenger comes to him, that the house has fallen in, and all your sons have been put to death. In all these things that befell him, Job did not sin before the Lord. And the second testimony of the Lord to the devil, praising Job; and the second envy-speaking of the devil concerning Job to the Lord. And how the Lord delivered up Job, while his soul was preserved. And the devil went out and struck Job from foot to head. And Job, sitting on the dung-heap, scraped off his discharge. His wife commands Job to speak against the Lord and to die; and he rebukes her.

Job's three friends heard—Eliphaz the king of the Temanites, Baldad the tyrant of the Sauchites, Sophar the king of the Minaei—of all that had befallen him. And they came to him, each from his own country, to visit him; and when they recognized him, each tore his robe because of his suffering. And after the blow, Job first opened his mouth and cursed the day and the night on which he was born. Concerning the passage, "As a servant who fears his lord, so light is given to those in bitterness, who long for death and do not obtain it. For death is rest to a man." Eliphaz the Temanite, taking up the word first, says to Job: "Remember, who being pure ever perished, or when were the truthful utterly destroyed? For the pride of dragons was quenched, and the lion-ant perished for lack of food; the cubs of lions left one another. How there is no mortal pure before the Lord, and no man blameless in his works." The foolish, he says, even if they strike roots, their dwelling is straightway devoured, because what they gathered, the righteous shall eat. Man, he says, is born to toil, and the young of vultures fly on high. But the Lord catches the wise in their own prudence, and confounds the counsels of the wily. The innocent the Lord will deliver from necessities, and in the seventh no evil shall touch him. But know yourself, if you have done anything. Job's first reply to Eliphaz: concerning the passage, "For if one setting a weight would set my wrath, and take up my pains in a balance together, then indeed they would be heavier than the sand of the shore." Concerning the passage, "For shall the wild ass cry out in vain, unless it is seeking food?

Will the ox bellow over its manger when it has its food? Is not the strength of stones my strength, and are my flesh of bronze? For, as a pirate's life is the life of man upon the earth, and as a hired servant's for a day is his life. For, if I have sinned, what shall I be able to do? For, knowing the mind of men, why have you set me as a target? Then after Eliphaz, Baldad the Sauchite, taking up the second reply, says to Job: How long will you speak? A spirit of many words is in your mouth. Will the Lord do injustice in judging? Or will he who made all things not bring forth justice? Concerning this: As the papyrus does not flourish without water, nor is the rush exalted without drink; for while it is still on its root, it shall not be cut down. For before it falls, every herb shall be dried up; so shall be the last end of all who forget God. The first reply of Job to Baldad: that, In truth I know that it is so; for how shall a mortal be just before the Lord? Concerning this: He who stretched out the heaven alone, and walks upon the sea as upon dry ground, making the Pleiad and the Evening Star. Who shall withstand the judgment of God? For if I be righteous, my mouth will speak impiously; and if I be blameless, I shall turn out crooked. Concerning this: My life is lighter than a runner. Is there even a track of a path for ships, or of an eagle flying seeking prey? Remember that you molded me as clay, and you turn me back to earth again. Or did you not milk me out like milk, and the rest? As though I were becoming what I was not. Why was I not delivered from the womb to the grave? For [six].

After Eliphaz, Bildad; after Bildad, Zophar the Minaean, each in his own order, so that each of them waits to say the stronger things against Job. He who says many things will also hear in return. Concerning the passage: "Your face will shine like pure water. You will put off filth, and you will not fear, and you will forget your toil like a wave that has passed by. For your prayer is like the morning star." The first reply of Job to Zophar: that "You alone are men, or will wisdom die with you? And a heart like yours will be mine also." Concerning the passage: "Who has not known in all these things that the hand of the Lord has done these things? That in his hand is the soul of all the living, and the spirit of every man." If, he says, he holds back the water, he will dry up the earth; but if he lets it loose, he has destroyed it, overturning it. Concerning the passage: "Who will be clean from filth? But no one, even if his life on earth be but one day." And, "There is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will flourish again, and its branch will not fail. But a man, having died, is gone; and a mortal, having fallen, is no more." A second beginning again. Eliphaz to Job: that "Will a wise man give an answer, and a spirit of understanding? For your mouth will convict you, and not I." Concerning the passage: "For who, being a mortal, will be blameless? Or will one born of a woman be righteous?" The second reply of Job to Eliphaz. "For I have heard many such things. For all are comforters of evils. Behold, my witness is in the heavens, and my consort is in the highest places. And let there be reproof for a man before the Lord." Concerning the passage: "He has made the night into day. For if I endure, Hades is my house. For I have called death my father, and rottenness my mother and my sister.